'I am glad he's injured' - NBA analyst Stephen A Smith gives explosive comments on Tyrese Haliburton's injury during Game 5 of NBA Finals

Time of India

5 hours ago

Stephen A. Smith and Tyrese Haliburton. Photo via Getty Images
NBA
analyst
Stephen A. Smith
made a rather
unapologetic statement
while commenting on
Tyrese Haliburton's injury
during the first half of
Game 5
of the
NBA Finals
. The player's injury created a major hurdle, landing him his first playoff career first half with a score of 0.
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder took a 14-point lead and maintained it to secure a third win in the series.
Stephen A. Smith explains the reason behind his statement, Tyrese Haliburton pulls off a scoreless first half in Game 5
Indiana Pacers faced a major loss in Game 5 as the series moved towards the stat of 3-2 lead favoring the Oklahoma City Thunder. Known for his contribution in the previous wins of the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton couldn't do much in today's match. Haliburton was dealing with calf soreness, something that stemmed from the previous injuries that the player had sustained from his previous matches.
While fans sympathised with the player's condition, one of the NBA analysts did not hesitate to criticise the player for his minimal contribution to the team's success. Stephen A. Smith known for his brutally honest opinions and comments, stated, 'Haliburton has looked awful and I'm glad he's injured. I'm not saying I'm glad he's injured, but I'm glad we got that as a rational.'
Upon the other analysts present in the studio questioning Smith, the latter, in a rather loud tone, stated, 'I'm not trying to be mean or whatever, just be factual. He looks bad, he was not active, he was not aggressive. He's not helping them.' Smith believes that it would be instead beneficial for the team to let the player relax and prepare him for Game 6, 'Now that we know he is not healthy, sit him down, get him ready for game 6'
Also read:
'Sit him down': Kendrick Perkins sparks outrage after blasting Tyrese Haliburton's Game 5 injury in NBA Finals
Tyrese Haliburton's injury caused a major problem in the athlete racking up scores for the Pacers. Haliburton ended Game 5 with a score of 4 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. The Indiana Pacers faced a major blow with their loss against the Thunder in Game 5, with the final scores being 120-109. Pascal Siakam's impressive performance couldn't save the Pacers from the defeat.