The Indiana Pacers are in the midst of a long six-game road trip. While they managed to win the first contest against the Atlanta Hawks, Rick Carlise’s boys have suffered back-to-back losses since then. Coming off a 27-point blowout loss against the Utah Jazz, the Pacers need to forget about their horrific performance as they prepare to face the Sacramento Kings, something a win would help massively.
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Amidst this, fans have been excited to watch the duel between Tyrese Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox in particular. However, with Haliburton added to injury reports, questions about his availability arise.
Tyrese Haliburton took a hard fall during the Indiana Pacers’ 8th January contest against the Boston Celtics. While in the paint, Hali tried pumping the breaks in the middle of a play. Upon the attempt, the 23-year-old’s pivot foot was over-stretched, resulting in a hamstring injury. Moments after his teammates had to carry him off the court, the team announced that the player was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.
Haliburton is down in pain after another slip: pic.twitter.com/Wmd7YZKVbw
— Zach Pearson (@zapearsonNBA) January 9, 2024
As seen in the video, the fall wasn’t a pretty one by any stretch of the imagination. However, reports revealed that the All-Star suffered a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and avoided any major injury.
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton has a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, an MRI revealed on Tuesday, sources tell ESPN. He’s expected to be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks but there’s relief that he’s avoided serious injury. pic.twitter.com/AnYt2ov7pV
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 9, 2024
Sources initially stated that the combo guard would be re-evaluated after the Pacers’ ongoing road trip concluded. However, the organization made their fans happy with the latest update. Ahead of the fixture against the Sacramento Kings, Tyrese Haliburton has been upgraded to “questionable”.
Even if the league’s assist leader does not suit up tonight, this is a great sign, suggesting that he could be making his return earlier than expected. Coupled with Siakam’s recent acquisition by the Pacers, this could spell the beginning of a positive stretch for the Pacers. That said, the franchise will not want to rush their franchise player back to the thick of things. So, while Haliburton’s condition has improved, his potential return in the upcoming contest remains in doubt.
The Pacers have faced difficulties to win without Tyrese Haliburton on the lineup
Tyrese Haliburton’s breakout campaign has been the biggest factor in the Indiana Pacers’ success this season. However, without Haliburton in the lineup, the franchise performs akin to a lottery-bound team. In the seven games that the guard has missed, the Indianapolis side has suffered a shocking four losses.
Apart from Haliburton, the team has added a plethora of players to the availability report. While the newly acquired players are yet to have their trade formalities completed, Bennedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith, and Obi Toppin have also been listed as “questionable”.
Injury Report for tomorrow’s game in Sacramento:
Tyrese Haliburton – Questionable (left hamstring strain)
Bennedict Mathurin – Questionable (left ankle sprain)
Aaron Nesmith – Questionable (left tibialis anterior strain)
Obi Toppin – Questionable (left calf strain)
Bruce Brown -… pic.twitter.com/aBtRtXtta4— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 18, 2024
On the other hand, the De’Aaron Fox-led California side is completely injury-free. Even though the Kings have lost three straight games, they will enter this bout as the favorites.
It’ll be great to see Haliburton go up against his former team. However, the franchise will be approaching this situation keeping Hali’s health as the priority.
