Tyrese Haliburton may be battling a right calf strain.
However, with the Pacers facing elimination against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, the All-Star guard made his intentions clear. His six-word message? "I want to be out there."
That was Haliburton's succinct response when asked about his status ahead of Game 6 against the Thunder-a must-win for Indiana if they hope to send the series back to Oklahoma City for a decisive Game 7.
Haliburton suffered the injury during Game 5 and was visibly limited in the second half, failing to register a single field goal after the mishap, Yahoo Sports reported.
While Haliburton went through the Pacers' walkthrough on Wednesday, head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed that he didn't participate in any serious running. The team is officially listing him as a game-time decision.
"It's a topic people want to hear about," Carlisle said. "We won't really know for sure until late tomorrow afternoon or early evening."
Haliburton acknowledged that under normal circumstances, he wouldn't be suiting up. But this isn't the regular season. It's the Finals.
"If this were a regular-season game, I probably wouldn't play," Haliburton said. "But I want to be out there."
The situation echoes Kevin Durant's 2019 Finals return from a calf strain, which ultimately ended in a devastating Achilles tear. It's a reminder of the high stakes and higher risks elite players face when battling injuries in the postseason.
"I have to be as smart as I want to be," Haliburton added. "There's risk involved. But I trust our medical staff, and I trust myself to make the right call."
Haliburton has dealt with playoff injuries before, missing time during last year's conference finals and managing a hamstring issue during the Olympics. Still, he's been pivotal to Indian's run, averaging 15 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.2 rebounds this series.
The decision may ultimately come down to whether the Pacers believe he can help them stave off elimination, or if they'll need to save him from himself.
"I practiced today, did what I could," he said. "We're just taking it from there."
CBS Sports reported that Haliburton is expected to play tonight against the Thunder in Game 6.
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This story was originally published June 19, 2025 at 1:23 PM.