The Indiana Pacers face a must-win situation in Friday’s Game 3 against the New York Knicks in their Eastern Conference semifinal series. Down 0-2, the Pacers have to score a win or they might as well start planning their forthcoming vacation. Indiana’s task has been made slightly easier by New York’s misfortune. Knicks stars OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson, who’ve been critical to their team’s success, are set to miss Game 3 due to injuries.
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The Pacers aren’t immune to the injury bug either. Unfortunately for them, it’s bitten Tyrese Haliburton too, inarguably their most important player. Per the NBA’s latest injury report, the All-Star guard is nursing lower back spasms and is listed as ‘Questionable’ for Game 3.
Nothing suggests Haliburton’s injury is severe enough for him to sit out of, what is essentially, a do-or-die game for the Pacers. He’ll suit up and play, regardless of how discomforting the injury feels.
Haliburton’s back issue isn’t a surprise for Indiana. In the aftermath of their Game 2 loss to the Knicks in New York, head coach Rick Carlisle noted that the guard’s injury is common knowledge and accused veteran forward Josh Hart of intentionally targeting it with no consequences.
“The whole world knows that Haliburton‘s got a bad back. And Hart comes up and shoves him in the back“
— What is Rick Carlisle suggesting? pic.twitter.com/lNMIr7qr78
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 9, 2024
Carlisle’s accusation ensured that anyone unaware of Haliburton’s back issue now knows about the guard’s back spasms. It remains to be seen whether his bad back stifles him and affects his performance in Game 3 on Friday.
The Pacers’ chances of a comeback are getting bleak
OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson joining Julius Randle on the Knicks’ injured players’ list have handed the Pacers an unfair boost, which they desperately need. Down 0-2 in the series, a defeat at home in Game 3 is unfathomable for Indiana, as history suggests their season would then be as good as over.
Of the 154 teams in NBA history, who’ve faced an 0-3 deficit in a best-of-seven playoff series, none have managed to win four straight games and get the series win. The Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and the Pelicans were all down 0-3 in the first round of this year’s playoffs and only LA managed to avoid a sweep, let alone come close to mounting a comeback.
The stakes are as high as they could be, and Haliburton will have to play through the pain to keep his team’s chances of ending their decade-long wait for a Conference Finals appearance alive.
