Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton strained his calf in Game 5 of the NBA Finals and will undergo an MRI to assess the injury. Despite a poor performance, he insists he’ll keep playing. Indiana trails 3–2 heading into Game 6.
Indiana Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton is dealing with a strained calf and will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. His availability for the rest of the NBA Finals remains in question.
2-pointers this season
Indiana Pacers
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The injury occurred during Game 5 on Monday night, as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Pacers 120–109 to take a 3–2 series lead, moving within one win of an NBA championship.
Haliburton appeared to suffer the injury without contact in the first quarter, pulling up while driving to the basket. He briefly exited to the locker room and returned to the bench in the second quarter with his calf wrapped, but eventually removed the wrap and played through the discomfort.
Despite logging 34 minutes, Haliburton struggled mightily, going 0-for-6 from the field and finishing with 4 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists — his most underwhelming performance of the 2024–25 postseason.
After the game, Haliburton acknowledged his poor showing but expressed a strong desire to continue playing, injury or not.
"It's the NBA Finals. It's the Finals, man," Haliburton said. "I've worked my whole life to be here. And I want to be out there to compete, help my teammates any way I can."
"I was not great tonight, by any means. But it's not really a thought of mine to not play here. If I can walk, then I want to play."
The Olympian and two-time All-Star has been the heartbeat of Indiana’s postseason run. Through 21 playoff games, Haliburton is averaging 17.9 points, 9.1 assists, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals, shooting 46.3% from the field and 32.4% from three. He’s also delivered multiple clutch performances to lift the Pacers throughout the playoffs.
Indiana now faces elimination and must win Games 6 and 7 to claim the title. Game 6 tips off Thursday in Indianapolis. If Haliburton is limited or unavailable, the Pacers will be at a serious disadvantage against a Thunder squad that finished with the league’s best record (68–14) and has consistently dominated both ends of the floor.
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