Tyrese Haliburton
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Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers reacts during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5.
The Indiana Pacers are unlikely to win their first NBA championship without Tyrese Haliburton on the floor.
So that collective sigh of relief you heard was from the entire state of Indiana when coach Rick Carlisle announced Haliburton was a full participant in the team’s walkthrough Wednesday ahead of the Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.
Haliburton is coming off his worst game of the playoffs, where he had four points and did not make a field goal (0 for 6, 0 for 4 on 3-pointers) in Indiana’s frustrating 120-109 loss in Game 5 in Oklahoma City.
It was just the third time this postseason he failed to score in double figures — Indiana is 0-3 in those games. After the game, it was reported that Haliburton was dealing with a calf strain and would undergo imagine to determine if he could return for Game 6.
What Is Tyrese Haliburton’s Status For Game 6 of the NBA Finals?
Carlisle tempered expectations while also giving Pacers fans some phenomenal news during his press availability Wednesday.
“He participated in all of our walkthrough stuff,” Carlisle said. “But it’s a walkthrough, so there was no real running or moving or anything, so we’ll see.”
Haliburton has not missed a game this postseason but missed Indiana’s final two games last season — a pair of home losses to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Though Pascal Siakam was the MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals, Haliburton has been the Pacers’ emotional leader and is leading the team in assists per game (9.2) and is second in points per game (18.6) in the playoffs.
Reports have indicated Haliburton will be a game-time decision Thursday, and Carlisle spelled out what the star will need to go through.
“He’ll go through the day tomorrow. We’ll have our prep sessions tomorrow,” Carlisle said. “We’ll get together and do some testing, and that will determine if he plays or not.”
Carlisle’s update did not do much to dispel that belief — even though he understands and appreciates how much attention Haliburton’s injury will get.
“We’ll see where we are tomorrow,” Carlisle said. “It’s a topic that people want to hear about and know about, and there’s going to be a lot of questions about it. But we will not really know for sure until late tomorrow afternoon or early evening.”
What Else Did Rick Carlisle Say Wednesday?
Despite being hampered by the injury, and not making a field goal, Haliburton still was a contributor in Game 5, according to Carlisle.
“He was in there when we cut it to [a] two[-point deficit],” Carlisle said, referencing Indiana’s second-half comeback where it cut an 18-point first half deficit to a one-possession game.
Even with a healthy Haliburton, the Pacers are struggling with the Thunder’s size and aggressive defense. Indiana is averaging 16 turnovers per game, and Oklahoma City is averaging 12 offensive rebounds per game.
“The two things that are really bothersome and challenging for us is the second-shot rebounds and the turnovers,” Carlisle said. “We’re going to do our best to address those things.”