The Tyrees Halliburton injury update could be the worst for the Indiana Pacers who enter Game 6.
As the Indiana Pacers prepare for Game 6 of the NBA Finals, there are huge risks looming for them. A big loss in Game 5 really put the pacer back on.
The big topic that came out of Game 5 was Tyrese Halliburton’s poor performance. The Star Point Guard zeroed the field goal with a loss of pacer.
However, Rick Carlisle revealed that Halliburton is playing with serious injuries. This explains his rough outing against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Stephen A. Smith believes that Carlisle should have played more TJ McConnell after learning of the injury situation in Halliburton.
However, the number of Pacers without Halliburton indicates that there is a good reason for Carlisle to keep him in the game. And if Halliburton has to miss Game 6, it could be the end of their NBA Championship hopes.
While covering Tyrese Haliburton’s injuries, ESPN shared graphic for the Indiana Pacers’ minutes, with or without an All-Star Guard.
The difference in the way the team performs, whether they’re with Halliburton on the court or not. The statistics in the table below highlight the offensive quality disparities.
| Statistics Categories | With Halliburton | No Halliburton |
| Min | 742 | 276 |
| Differences in points | +109 | -67 |
| Attack efficiency | 118.2 | 104.2 |
| 3 points rate | 41% | 34% |
The Pacers are playing less minutes without Halliburton compared to him, so they raise some questions about sample size, but the disparity is very dramatic.
It is clear that Halliburton is the motor for the Indiana Pacers’ offensive. And without him, the team will have a hard time making a opposition to the Elite Thunder defense.
Tyrese Halliburton has been diagnosed with calf tension, but he is scheduled to play in Game 6. However, this can lead to much worse injuries. And that’s the situation we’ve seen this season.
In March of this year, Damien Lillard felt a calf strain while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. He’s back ahead of the NBA playoffs.
But ironically enough, their first round series against the Indiana Pacers, Lillard suffers a serious Achilles injury that took him out of the series and is set to keep him out next season.
Lillard’s Achilles’ tears came months after he maintained the tension in his calf and seemed to recover. But given how these muscles are closely tied, one injury led to another.
Halliburton could suffer even more serious injuries if he played in Game 6. Not only is he already injured, but he’s also playing at the most intense and toughest stages of the NBA, where basketball is more physical and intense than any other point in the season.
Halliburton is trying to play and give the Pacers the opportunity to return, but if he goes ahead with that plan, he could endanger his long-term health and the future of his team.