Tyrese Haliburton Says 'If I Can Walk, Then I Want to Play' amid NBA Finals Injury

While Tyrese Haliburton dealt with a calf injury during the Indiana Pacers' 120-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday, it doesn't sound like he has any plans of sitting out Thursday's Game 6.

"I mean, it's the NBA Finals," he told reporters after the loss. "It's the Finals—I've worked my whole life to be here. It was not really a thought of mine to not play here. If I can walk, then I want to play."

His comments echoed those of Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, who told reporters, "He's not 100 percent. It's pretty clear. But I don't think he's going to miss the next game."

Haliburton was clearly limited in the contest, as he finished with four points on 0-of-6 shooting from the field and 0-of-4 shooting from deep. He went to the locker room during the first half and limped at times in the second half after returning to the game.

It was a far cry from his largely dominant performances and the clutch shooting he has demonstrated throughout the Pacers' run to the NBA Finals.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported at halftime that Haliburton was playing through "calf tightness."

While the injury made headlines and is the biggest storyline for the Pacers heading into Game 6 after they fell behind 3-2 in the series, it wasn't the only reason they lost. They turned the ball over 22 times against Oklahoma City's stifling defense, which cut short their overall comeback efforts.

"In all three of our losses in the series, turnovers have been a big reason why," Haliburton said. "We have to do a better job of taking care of the ball if we want a chance to win Game 6. We've got to approach the game the right way."

He had just three of the team's turnovers, so keeping him healthy with the ball in his hands in Game 6 will be key if the Pacers are going to extend the series to a decisive contest back in Oklahoma City.

So will Haliburton's overall health, although he at least indicated he has every intention of playing in Thursday's contest.