Tyrese Haliburton is not 100 percent.
Following a 120-109 defeat in Game 5 against the Thunder during the NBA Finals, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed in his postgame press conference that Haliburton is continuing to play despite an injury.
Haliburton tallied just four points and didn’t hit a shot from the field in 34 minutes.
“He’s not 100 percent,” Carlisle told reporters. “It’s pretty clear. But I don’t think he’s going to miss the next game.”
Carlisle explained that the star point guard had re-aggravated a lower-leg injury incurred during Game 2 of the Finals, while Haliburton indicated it was in the “same area.”
The lower-calf tightness almost forced Haliburton out of Monday night’s game at halftime, but the star insisted on playing.
“It’s the Finals, man. It’s the NBA Finals,” Haliburton stated. “I’ve worked my entire life to reach this point, and I want to be out there competing, doing whatever I can to help my teammates. I didn’t play at my best tonight, but I’m not really considering sitting out. If I can still walk, I want to play.”
“Gotta be ready to go for Game 6.”
While Carlisle said he thought Haliburton “made a lot of really good things happen in the second half,” Haliburton’s offense did suffer due to the injury.
He went 0-6 from the field, including four misses from deep.
The Pacers committed 22 turnovers, with Haliburton adding three.
“All three of our losses in this series, turnovers have been a big reason why,” he said.
As Haliburton struggled, Thunder small forward Jalen Williams had an excellent game to put Oklahoma City one win away from its first title.
He scored 40 points, while adding six rebounds and four assists.
Although the injury is significant enough to hamper Haliburton, he made it clear he will play in Game 6 in Indianapolis with the Pacers’ season on the line.
Indiana will need a better performance from him if it hopes to force a Game 7 on Sunday in Oklahoma City.
“The thought is if you lose, your season is over,” Haliburton said. “Our backs are against the wall. We take pride in playing at home in front of our fans and our fans are amazing, so we know they’re going to come out with a ton of energy in Game 6. So, we’re going to have to respond and be better and look forward to the challenge. … You got to look at Game 6 like it’s a Game 7. If you lose, your season is over.”
