The Indiana Pacers are preparing for the possibility of not having Tyrese Haliburton available to play in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, coach Rick Carlisle said in a radio interview on Wednesday morning.
Haliburton has been dealing with a lower right leg injury throughout the series and it worsened during Monday’s Game 5 loss in Indianapolis. Haliburton played through it for most of his 34 minutes, but failed to make a field goal in the game and Indiana lost to Oklahoma City 120-109 — falling behind 3-2 in the title series.
Now facing a win-or-else scenario, there is a chance Haliburton does not play in Game 6 on Thursday.
“He is going to be carefully evaluated over the next 36 hours and will likely be listed as questionable on the injury report and probably will be a game-time decision for Game 6,” Carlisle said on Indianapolis radio station 107.5 The Fan.
Haliburton, part of the team that won Olympic gold in Paris for USA Basketball last year, was undergoing evaluation Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury. Part of that evaluation was an MRI exam, according to a person with knowledge of the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because neither Haliburton nor the team revealed that publicly. ESPN first reported that an MRI was scheduled.
After Game 5, Carlisle did not specifically say that the MRI would be part of the team’s next moves in figuring out how best to proceed with Haliburton, though made clear that the Eastern Conference champions would be taking a close look at the injury. Given that it is evidently a muscular injury, an MRI is part of the typical evaluation process.
[Related: One Win Away! OKC on Verge of NBA Finals Title; Can The Pacers Respond?]
“We have to prepare for two scenarios — one where he plays and one where he does not,” Carlisle said in the radio interview.
If Haliburton cannot play, it would seem likely that the Pacers would promote guard TJ McConnell to a starting role. McConnell has been brilliant throughout these playoffs and sparked a rally where Indiana closed an 18-point deficit to a two-point difference in the second half of Game 5, before Oklahoma City pulled away again and for good.
“Depending on the situation tomorrow, we may need him for significantly more minutes,” Carlisle said of McConnell.
Haliburton left Game 5 late in the first quarter and returned to the bench area with a wrap on his lower leg. He not only returned to the game, he played 34 minutes — but did so while missing all six of his shots and with him barely looking to shoot at all in the second half. He finished the game with seven rebounds and six assists, but only four points.
The Pacers will have to rely on TJ McConnell in Game 6, though to what degree depends on the health of Tyrese Haliburton. (Photo by William Purnell/Getty Images)
It was the first time in Haliburton’s career that he logged at least 34 minutes and failed to make a single field goal.
The Pacers, Carlisle said, discussed not letting Haliburton play in the second half. Haliburton vetoed those plans and played 17 minutes in the second half, leading the Pacers in rebounds and assists after intermission.
“I mean, it’s the NBA Finals. It’s the finals, man,” Haliburton said after Game 5. “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. They understand that. And it is what it is. Got to be ready to go for Game 6.”
The Pacers are scheduled to practice Wednesday. It will largely be a meeting and walk-through session, Carlisle said.
Game 6 of the NBA Finals will be played on Thursday night at 8:30 pm ET, in Indianapolis.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Tyrese Haliburton
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