After dropping the first two games of the series to New York, the Indiana Pacers finally put themselves on the board with a close win in the third game of the series. The Pacers will look to level the series at home tonight before the matchup moves to Madison Square Garden for Game 5. However, Haliburton’s addition to the injury report for Game 4 casts a shadow on Indiana’s hopes.
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As per the Pacers’ official injury report, Tyrese Haliburton has been listed as ‘questionable’ for tonight’s contest at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The 24-year-old has been dealing with lower back spasms and sacral contusion for a while now. And now, a right ankle sprain has been added to the list of ailments for the Pacers star.
The 6’5 point guard had a 35-point outing in the 38 minutes he played in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. He also had 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block for the game, along with this acrobatic double-clutch layup over three defenders.
Tyrese Haliburton switches hands in midair for the finish pic.twitter.com/b8oJx4f8Cp
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 11, 2024
However, the All-Star guard was seen walking off the podium in excruciating pain after the post-game press conference. His addition to the roster on Sunday will be a gametime decision.
Tyrese Haliburton Hardly Able To Walk While Leaving His Post Game Interview Shows He’s One Of The Toughest Players In The NBA https://t.co/EzULDi58Pi pic.twitter.com/3FClam6Gte
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) May 11, 2024
But despite all the ailments Haliburton has been dealing with, he has been focused on recovering for tonight’s game against a red-hot New York Knicks squad. “I’m hurtin…Everybody’s hurtin right now…I’ll heal up & be ready to go on Sunday,” the two-time All-Star had said, knowing the importance of this Game 4 contest.
“I’m hurtin…Everybody’s hurtin right now…I’ll heal up & be ready to go on Sunday”
–– Tyrese Haliburton pic.twitter.com/k4xdXbOSDb
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 11, 2024
Tyrese Haliburton is the team’s second-leading scorer, who also averages the most assists and steals on the Pacers roster. Haliburton’s playoff averages are 19.0 points, 8.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. So, the team is bound to feel his absence if he is not cleared to play.
It’ll be interesting to see who Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle chooses to replace Haliburton if he is not cleared to play tonight. Tune into ABC Network at 3:30 PM ET today to see the Indiana Pacers host the New York Knicks for the fourth game in this best-of-seven series.
