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[Saba Sports News] Tyrese Haliburton battled through injury in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, but his outlook for the rest of the series is now in serious doubt.
The Indiana Pacers star required treatment on his right calf during the first half of Monday night’s 120-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. Haliburton was already dealing with calf soreness, which stemmed from an earlier ankle injury suffered earlier in the series. He was even seen limping after Game 2, and the issue appears to have worsened.
In Game 5, Haliburton struggled mightily, going 0-for-6 from the field and scoring just four points, all from the free-throw line. After the game, he was noticeably limping as he left the media podium — though he made it clear he still intends to play in Game 6.
“I was not great tonight by any means,” Haliburton admitted. “But if I can walk, then I wanna play.”
The timing couldn’t be worse for Indiana. Now trailing 3-2 in the series, the Pacers must win back-to-back games to keep their season alive — a daunting task without their All-Star point guard at full strength.
The only silver lining for Haliburton and the Pacers is that Game 6 won’t take place until Thursday, giving him a bit more time to recover.