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The Indiana Pacers may be without one of their stars heading into a must-win Game 6 at home in the NBA Finals on Thursday night.
Tyrese Haliburton, who has been pivotal in the Pacers’ playoffs success, is believed to have suffered a right calf strain, and ESPN reported an MRI is needed to determine its severity.
In turn, Haliburton’s status for Game 6 remains a large question looming over Indiana.
The injury occurred in Game 5’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night, where Haliburton had just four points in 34 minutes on the floor. All four of those points came from the free throw line, as he missed all six of his shots.
Haliburton also finished with seven rebounds, six assists and a -13 plus-minus mark for the game.
THUNDER BEAT PACERS IN GAME 5 OF NBA FINALS TO COME WITHIN ONE WIN OF FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP
The injury was believed to have occurred while driving to the basket in the first quarter, which could explain Haliburton’s oddly silent night on the offensive end. He went back to the locker room after the play, but returned to the bench shortly after.
Haliburton was wearing a wrap around his calf, but he took it off mid-game.
It was initially diagnosed as calf tightness, but the Pacers believe it to be more than that. However, Haliburton told reporters that he intends to play the rest of the series.
“I was not great tonight, but if I can walk then I wanna play,” he said.
“It’s the NBA Finals. It’s the Finals, man,” Haliburton added. “I’ve worked my whole life to be here. And I want to be out there to compete, help my teammates any way I can.”
It goes without saying how vital Haliburton’s presence in the Pacers’ starting five is, especially when it comes to crunch time in the fourth quarter. Haliburton has had enough game-winning buckets to last an entire playoff career, let alone just one stretch, which includes Game 1’s heroic mid-range jumper to win it on the road.
The Pacers don’t have any breathing room, needing to win the next two games to secure the NBA title. Meanwhile, the Thunder have momentum even heading on the road after the 120-109 victory on Monday night.
Through 21 playoff games, Haliburton has averaged 17.9 points, 9.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds for Indiana, while draining 46.3% of his shots from the floor.
If Haliburton is unable to play, the Pacers do have some good depth, with T.J. McConnell most likely taking over duties at point guard.
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