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[Saba Sports News] Tyrese Haliburton struggled through a tough first half in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night — and there’s now an injury-related reason behind it.
Haliburton is dealing with tightness in his right calf, the same leg where he experienced ankle soreness last week.
During the first half at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, he missed all four of his shot attempts and appeared far from his usual form.
At halftime, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on the calf issue, and cameras showed Haliburton heading to the locker room with his right calf wrapped.
His uncharacteristic performance was so noticeable that ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said the injury news made sense and explained what fans were seeing on the court.
Haliburton had been averaging 17.8 points per game in the Finals heading into Game 5, but his production fell off dramatically. He barely looked to score and went without a made field goal through the first three quarters.