In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round, the Indiana Pacers took advantage of the Milwaukee Bucks, without their stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. They took a 3-1 lead in the series with Tyrese Haliburton chipping in 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. However, the elite PG played just 32 minutes, compared to 46 in Game 3. After the game, it was revealed that he was having back issues, which means his presence in Game 5 is currently skeptical.
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As per the latest injury report, Haliburton is ‘Questionable’ due to lower back spasms. When asked about his availability for Game 5, Pacers HC Rick Carlisle remained hopeful. While the report is concerning in terms of long-term prospects, the injury report lists Bucks’ primary stars Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo as ‘Doubtful’ too. Thus, there is a high chance that the Indiana team will again face a depleted Milwaukee squad.
Rick Carlisle on Tyrese Haliburton (back, questionable) playing tonight:
“Hope so.”
Carlisle mentioned it was good to keep Hali’s minutes lower in Game 4 (32 minutes, after 46 in Game 3).
— Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) April 30, 2024
As for Hali, he had missed 13 games during the 2023-24 regular season, mostly due to a Hamstring injury. His back started to emerge in the first week of April and has aggravated during the playoffs. Even though his plays did not seem as smooth as always in the first round, he finally put up 15.8 points, 10 assists, and 6.8 rebounds, while shooting 29.4% from the three-point line, per StatMuse.
While these numbers are impressive, both the efficiency and the values are down compared to the regular season. Such drop-off is expected during the playoffs, however, his back injury may have bothered him. At any rate, he has received ample support from his front-court mates.
The Pacers’ frontcourt is making serious noise in the postseason
In the first two games of the series, power forward Pascal Siakam dropped 36 points and 37 points respectively. Meanwhile, Myles Turner has scored over 20 points in three straight games. They have benefited immensely from playing alongside Haliburton who can identify lanes from difficult angles. Due to this deadly combination, the Pacers have now breached the 120-point mark in three straight games.
Siakam and Turner have also benefitted from the absence of Antetokounmpo who could have caused problems on both ends of the floor. While giving tough contests, he could have sapped their stamina on the defensive end.
At any rate, the Pacers’ chances of sealing a 4-1 series win in Milwaukee look promising. If Haliburton doesn’t play then PG Andrew Nembhard can feed them the rock. Apart from that, Siakam also has superb passing chops in a system that prioritizes a lot of passing. Thus, the Pacers’ ball movement can still be impeccable even if the management decides to rest their offensive leader.
