Going up against the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks, the Indiana Pacers expected their first-round series to be an easier matchup than it was. Even though Rick Carlisle’s boys eventually clinched the win, the grueling six-game stretch resulted in players taking a beating and being exhausted. Tyrese Haliburton is one of the big names from the Pacers to sustain injuries against Doc Rivers’ boys.
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The Indiana Pacers would like to have a fully-fit roster if they want to stand a chance of upsetting the #2 New York Knicks. However, fans will not be pleased to learn that two important players have been added to the injury report ahead of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal. While Bennedict Mathurin continues to sit out, Tyrese Haliburton is added to the dreadful list as “questionable” due to lower back spasms.
Tyrese Haliburton listed QUESTIONABLE Game 1 (back spasms).
Knicks list Bojan Bogdanovic & Julius Randle who are out for season.
Pacers Ben Mathurin also out for season. pic.twitter.com/0J7nmrAkxl
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 5, 2024
Details of Haliburton’s back injury were first revealed just before Game 4 of the opening round series against the Bucks. Playing 46 minutes in Game 3 seemed to have taken a toll on the guard’s back.
“I locked up… My back just locked up,” Haliburton said on the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast after the game, per Sports Illustrated. “I couldn’t really move. Thank god for our amazing medical staff. There was a hot second there where I didn’t think I was going to play.”
Despite admitting that he “couldn’t really move”, it is impressive that the 24-year-old participated in each of the games. In fact, his performance after the back injury in Game 3 somehow improved – recording 6 more points in the second half of the series, per ESPN.
Considering that Hali’s back injury hasn’t been a major setback yet, fans don’t need to worry about their star player’s health. They will also most certainly see him don the jersey and set foot on the hardwood without being on any kind of minutes restriction.
Coming off a 35.5 points per game (per ESPN) series against the 76ers, Jalen Brunson is projected to have a better performance than Haliburton. But, due to injuries suffered by the Knicks’ Julius Randle and Bojan Bogdanovic, the Myles Turner-Pascal Siakam-Aaron Nesmith trio is the far superior frontcourt among the two teams. Hence, the Pacers will be confident enough to steal a win or two at the Madison Square Garden.
