OKLAHOMA CITY — Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton pushed through a sore right calf in the second half of Indiana’s 120-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, even though there were worries at halftime after he re-aggravated his injury during the first quarter on Monday night.
Haliburton left for the locker room early in the game but came back in the second quarter with his calf wrapped. He finished playing, but his performance was not great. He scored four points, tying his lowest score ever in the playoffs, and for the first time in his playoff career, he did not make a field goal, going 0-for-6.
“It’s the Finals,” Haliburton said. “I’ve worked my whole life to get here, and I want to compete and help my teammates however I can. I wasn’t great tonight, but not playing wasn’t really an option for me. If I can walk, I want to be on the court.”
After his postgame press conference following Game 2, Haliburton limped off due to what turned out to be a right ankle injury. On Monday, he admitted that this new injury was in the “same area.”
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle noted that it was obvious Haliburton wasn’t at full strength but didn’t think he would miss any games since Indiana’s season is now on the line after Monday’s loss. The Pacers are now down 3-2 in the series, with Game 6 set for Thursday in Indianapolis.
“[Haliburton’s] not a hundred percent,” Carlisle said. “Many players in this series are dealing with injuries too.”
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Not many players will sit out, even if they have some injuries. If you’re hurt, that’s another issue. But we’ll assess everything with Tyrese and see how he feels tomorrow morning.”
In Game 5, Haliburton only had six total drives, which is the lowest number he’s had this postseason and ties for the second-lowest in any playoff game during his career.
Despite that, he worked hard to make a difference by contributing six assists and seven rebounds in 34 minutes of play.
“I’m just trying to keep up in the game and help however I can,” Haliburton explained. “I want to pass the ball to my teammates in the best spots possible.”
However, it will be tough for the Pacers to surprise the Thunder if Haliburton is limited. They have a record of 6-7 this postseason when he scores 20 points or fewer but are undefeated (8-0) when he scores more than 20.
“He’s a fighter,” said Pacers forward Pascal Siakam, who led the team with 28 points. “He has been our backbone all year long. He’s a big reason we made it this far. I’m not sure what exactly is wrong, but I know he’s battling through it and will give us everything he has.”
One thing he demonstrated was his resilience. He displayed that all year long. We can keep relying on him to keep pushing forward. I respect that about him because I know it isn’t easy. We have a few days ahead of us. Let’s take care of our bodies, get some good rest, and prepare for Game 6.
Even though Haliburton had limited play on Monday night, the Pacers came back from a double-digit deficit in the first half and narrowed the score to 95-93 with 8:30 left in the fourth quarter. However, the Thunder finished strong with a 25-16 run to win the game. Indiana ended up with 22 turnovers, which led to 32 points for Oklahoma City.
“We believe we did well in the second half by increasing the pace of the game and really pushing ourselves,” Haliburton mentioned. “We thought we improved in that area during the second half, but we really need to cut down on turnovers. Those mistakes are hurting us right now, especially in the first half. We know we can perform better.”
Monday’s defeat marked the first time this postseason that the Pacers have lost two games in a row, breaking a streak that went back to March. Resilience is something Indiana has taken pride in throughout this playoff journey. Haliburton stated that the Pacers will need to draw on that strength again to keep their season going.
“We’ve faced tough situations many times over the last two years and have found various ways to win,” he said.
“The way that this year has gone, nobody said this was going to be sweet.
“It’s kind of poetic that we’re here. We’ve got to be ready to go for Game 6. Our backs are against the wall. It’s a really tough team. … Everybody has to be prepared. It starts with me, and we’ve all got to be better. That’s just point-blank, period.”
