Tyrese Haliburton suffered an injury during Monday’s 120-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Will the injury cause Haliburton to miss time?
Tyrese Haliburton Suffers Calf Strain
"Once the Pacers and Haliburton get the results back on this MRI, on that calf strain, they're going to be able to identify the severity and then huddle and map out exactly what the plan will be going into Game 6."@malika_andrews and @ShamsCharania discuss Tyrese Haliburton's… pic.twitter.com/XANI9ehLog
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 17, 2025
Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Haliburton is believed to have suffered a strained right calf in the first quarter of Game 5. Haliburton will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the strain.
Haliburton has been dealing with ankle soreness in the right leg since last week.
The results of the MRI will determine if Haliburton will miss time. If this weren’t the NBA Finals, Haliburton would likely sit out and let the injury heal.
“If this were the regular season or even the first round, there’s doubt that he would play,” Charania said on ESPN’s NBA Today.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle admitted after the game that his star point guard was injured.
“We were concerned at halftime, and he insisted on playing,” Carlisle said about Haliburton. “I thought he made a lot of really good things happen in the second half. But he’s not 100%. There’s a lot of guys in the series that aren’t.”
The injury clearly affected Haliburton’s performance, who had his worst game of the postseason on Monday night. Haliburton played 34 minutes and missed all six of his shot attempts. It’s the first time Haliburton finished a postseason game without a field goal.
Haliburton finished with four points, seven rebounds, and six assists. The four points are the lowest scoring total of his playoff career.
Haliburton noticeably had a limp at the press conference. Despite the injury, Haliburton said he plans to play “if he can walk.”
“It’s the Finals, man,” Haliburton said. “I’ve worked my whole life to be here, and I want to be able to compete, help my teammates any way I can. … It’s not really a thought of mine to not play here.”
Haliburton is averaging 15.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 7.2 assists on 45% shooting in the NBA Finals.
That’s a sharp decrease from his Eastern Conference finals averages of 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 10.5 assists.
The Thunder defense, especially Lu Dort, has made things extremely difficult for Haliburton all series.
What Will The Pacers Do If Tyrese Haliburton Misses Time?
Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is believed to have suffered a strained right calf and will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the strain, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/4FTIoB1RVU
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 17, 2025
Even if Haliburton can play in Game 6, it will be in a limited capacity.
Expect Carlisle to increase the minutes of backup point guard T.J. McConnell, who scored 18 points in Game 5, including 13 in the third quarter.
Andrew Nembhard will likely play more point guard in Game 6, opening the door for Bennedict Mathurin to see increased minutes off the bench.
The Thunder hold a 3-2 series lead over the Pacers. Game 6 will be played in Indiana on Thursday night.
