According to ESPN's Shams Charania, there is a belief that Tyrese Haliburton suffered a strained right calf, and he will undergo an MRI following the Indiana Pacers' crushing Game 5 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
For the first time in the playoffs, the Pacers are facing a series deficit as they are currently down 3-2 in the NBA Finals. This, combined with the fact that they are going up against the Thunder, who were dominant from the jump this season, makes a championship victory almost impossible for Indiana.
Though the series is not officially over yet, and the Pacers have done a great job of proving their doubters wrong and shocking the world, this is their hardest task to date this season, and if they are going to be without Haliburton, there may be nothing they can do to pull off the comeback.
Tyrese Haliburton's NBA Finals run has not gone as expected
For much of the regular season and certainly for the first three rounds of the playoffs, Haliburton further solidified himself as one of the top point guards in the NBA and continued to inch closer to reaching superstar status. He built a reputation as one of the most clutch players in the league, and he has been instrumental to the Pacers' postseason success. However, he has left a lot to be desired on the court in the NBA Finals, and his magic may have run out.
Through five games of the series, the Wisconsin native is averaging 15 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.2 steals. Furthermore, he is averaging 4 turnovers across that same span and is shooting 45.3% from the field and 29.4% from beyond the arc. This includes a brutal Game 5 performance, where he scored just four points on 0-for-6 shooting and committed three turnovers.
The Thunder have mostly done a great job of making Haliburton uncomfortable, which has taken him and the Pacers out of their rhythm. This has made it incredibly difficult for Indiana to take control in the series, even if they had stretches or even full games where they looked good. It is not impossible, but it is going to be extremely difficult for the Pacers to win two consecutive games to secure a series victory and their first-ever NBA Championship, especially going up against the league-leading Thunder.
Game 6 is on Thursday, and this will be a big game for the Pacers. Either they win and keep their championship dreams alive for a little bit longer, or they get eliminated on their home court. If the Pacers have it their way, they will walk out of Indiana for the final time this season with a win and one more shot at an NBA title. However, given the latest updates on Haliburton's injury, this may just be a pipe dream as the Pacers have all the momentum going against them in the NBA Finals.