Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers have been on a roll this season. Unfortunately for Pacers fans, Haliburton might not play any of the upcoming road games between the 12th and 21st of January. Haliburton, who suffered a grade 1 sprain in his left hamstring, has been ruled out for the upcoming two weeks. According to reports from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pacer’s medical team had diagnosed Haliburton on Tuesday, also pointing to the fact that the injury could have been way more serious.
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The injury was sustained during the second quarter against the Boston Celtics, when Haliburton appeared to lose footing while driving to the basket, ending up in a deep split.
Haliburton, who was carried off the court by two teammates, didn’t seem too worried, and for all the right reasons. Indiana had veteran guard, T.J. McConnell, who filled Haliburton’s role perfectly, adding 12 points and dishing out 7 assists, in a 133-131 win over the Boston Celtics.
Though Haliburton is only 23 years old, injuries have started to creep up with the star guard. During December last month, Haliburton suffered from ankle and knee issues, which seem to be lingering problems that have followed Tyrese into the NBA. Now he is down with another major one. However, the medical staff will be evaluating Haliburton once again, after his two-week rest period.
Indiana on the road
Indiana might just be one of the few teams that has enough offensive power to compensate for their primary guard’s absence. With Indiana starting their six-game road trip soon, the pressure will be on the likes of Buddy Hield and Bruce Brown to produce more for the Pacers. As for replacements, TJ McConnell and Andrew Nembhard should be able to handle guard duties till Haliburton is up and kicking again.
Before the injury, Haliburton led the league in assists for the season (12.5 assists), something that veteran guard TJ McConnell might not be able to replicate. But it’s not only the assists that the team has to cover, as Haliburton has been a knockdown shooter this season (shooting 40% from three). But with role players getting more shots, it is now on them to come through for the team.
After Monday’s game against Boston, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle talked to the media about Haliburton’s situation,
“Tyrese’s injury situation is a very deflating moment. We hope it’s not that serious……..we have been a together group, we gotta stay together”
Reports from the Pacers locker room are looking up though. Haliburton seems to be in high spirits, as he is now focusing on supporting his teammates and rehabilitating his injury. With Haliburton out, it will be interesting to see if the Pacers can hold onto a top-five spot in the Eastern Conference, while on the road.
