Tyrese Haliburton hobbled through Game 5, Pacers need more in Game 6 to keep season alive

NBC Sports

6 hours ago

OKLAHOMA CITY — Tyrese Haliburton is going to play in Game 6.
'It's the Finals, man,' Haliburton said. '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.'
If Indiana is going to win that game and give itself a chance in a Game 7, it will need more from the orchestrator of its offense than it got Monday night: four points on 0-of-6 shooting, seven rebounds and six assists with three turnovers. While Pascal Siakam and T.J. McConnell had great games to keep the Pacers within striking distance of the Thunder, the Pacers could not get over the hump without a burst from Haliburton.
'I was not great tonight by any means, but it's not really a thought of mine to not play [in Game 6],' Haliburton said. 'If I can walk, then I want to play. They understand that. And it is what it is. Got to be ready to go for Game 6.'
Haliburton was slowed after he tweaked his left calf, which was reported during the broadcast as 'calf tightness,' and he said postgame that the issue was in the same area that had him limping slightly after Game 2. Haliburton slipped on a first-quarter drive and appeared to aggravate that calf injury. He left the game, went back to the locker room, but returned to the game about five minutes later and played 34 minutes.
Tyrese Haliburton injured his right leg and went back to the locker room after this play.
He came back and returned to the game in the 2nd quarter. pic.twitter.com/ZDl9Z3oJ2D
However, Haliburton wasn't the same after aggravation. While he moved fairly well, he could not push off and accelerate a drive with that leg the rest of the night. By the fourth quarter, Alex Caruso started to shade his coverage, forcing Haliburton in a direction where he could not accelerate enough to get separation.
If this were the regular season, Haliburton likely would miss a game or two as a precaution, just because aggravated calf issues can lead to much worse injuries if the muscle is weakened. But this is the NBA Finals, the calculations are different.
'He's not a hundred percent. It's pretty clear,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. 'But I don't think he's going to miss the next game. We were concerned at halftime, and he insisted on playing. I thought he made a lot of really good things happen in the second half. But he's not a hundred percent.'
Carisle also said the Pacers' medical team would evaluate how Haliburton is feeling Tuesday morning. However, Haliburton was not limping when walking around postgame, a very good sign with a couple of days off and plenty of time to get treatment.
His teammates know they can count on Haliburton.
'He's a fighter. He's been our rock all year,' Pascal Siakam said. 'He's a big reason why we're here. I don't know exactly what's wrong, but I know he's fighting and he's going to give us everything he's got. We are a hundred percent behind him and we support him.
'I think one thing he showed, his resiliency. He showed that all year. I think that we can continue to count on him to keep fighting. I admire that from him, just because I know that it's hard. We've got a couple of days. Take care of our bodies, rest well and be ready for Game 6.'
The Pacers will need that resiliency in Game 6, because their season is on the line.