Tyrese Haliburton to Play for Pacers vs. Thunder in NBA Finals Game 6 Amid Calf Injury
The Indiana Pacers will have their star on the court for a must-win Game 6 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals on Thursday.
Per the Associated Press' Tim Reynolds, the Pacers said Tyrese Haliburton, who suffered a calf injury in Game 5, will play in Game 6. ESPN's Marc J. Spears added that Pacers coach Rick Carlisle noted Haliburton won't have a minutes restriction after he "did well on his strength testing."
In Game 5 on Monday, Haliburton briefly went to the locker room but returned as he was dealing with right calf tightness. He managed to play through the injury, albeit it was not his best effort. He finished with just four points as Indiana lost 120-109.
After the injury, Haliburton made clear it would take a lot to keep him off the court.
"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."
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Wednesday that Haliburton was "probably" going to be a game-time decision.
"We have to prepare for two scenarios: one where he plays, and one where he does not," Carlisle said.
The severity of his calf injury is unclear, though ESPN's Shams Charania added some context to the situation.
"It was described to me today that if this was the regular season, or even the first round, there is doubt that he would play," Charania said on NBA Today earlier this week.
While Haliburton had a forgettable performance in Game 5, he's been the hero for the Pacers throughout the playoffs. He's hit clutch shot after clutch shot, including a game-winner against the Thunder in Game 1.
Even if he is somewhat injured, Indiana needs Haliburton on the court as it looks to force a Game 7.
With Haliburton fighting through an injury, the Pacers will also look to other players to step up. Pascal Siakam, the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, has been magnificent this postseason, and they'll look to him as a key scorer on Thursday. T.J. McConnell played big minutes in Game 5 and scored 18, and he'll look to bring that spark off the bench in Game 6.
