Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton has a strained right calf and will get an MRI to check how serious the injury is, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Tuesday.
Haliburton hurt his calf again during the first quarter of Monday’s 120-109 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. However, he returned in the second quarter with his calf wrapped up and completed the game.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle admitted that Haliburton wasn’t at full strength after the game, but Haliburton stated clearly that he intends to play in Game 6 since Indiana’s season depends on it.
“If I can walk, then I want to play,” Haliburton stated.
Game 6 is set for Thursday night in Indianapolis, where the Pacers are down 3-2 in the series.
In Game 5, Haliburton played for 34 minutes but did not score any field goals, missing all six of his shots. He ended the game with four points, along with six assists and seven rebounds, which is the lowest score of his playoff career. This was also the first time he finished a postseason game without making a field goal.
After his postgame press conference following Game 2, Haliburton limped off due to what was later found to be a right ankle injury. On Monday, he admitted that this injury was in the “same area.”
Throughout the first five games of the series, Haliburton has averaged 15.0 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.2 rebounds while shooting at 45%.
