Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered a hamstring injury during Thursday night’s 126-110 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. Haliburton exited the game with just under three minutes left in the third quarter, limping off the court to the locker room. Shortly afterwards, the Pacers ruled him out for the remainder of the game due to left hamstring soreness. Haliburton had recorded 10 points, eight assists, and four rebounds in 28 minutes before his departure.
With the Pacers trailing 2-0 in the series, Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday evening in Indiana.
After the game, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle provided an update, noting that Haliburton’s hamstring was already sore at halftime. Carlisle decided to let Haliburton test it during the third quarter, but it soon became apparent that he couldn’t continue. “He gave it a shot and gave it all the effort that he could,” Carlisle said. “It wasn’t going well. So the trainers determined that he needed to go to the back and get worked on.”
The injury occurred as Haliburton was defending Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. While moving laterally, Haliburton took an awkward step, grimacing as he stumbled sideways. This injury is particularly concerning for the Pacers, as Haliburton missed 10 games during the regular season with a left hamstring strain—the same one he hurt on Thursday. Following his return from that injury in late January, Haliburton’s performance saw a significant dip, leading to speculation that he may have come back earlier than advisable to meet the NBA’s newly imposed 65-game threshold for award consideration.
Here’s the play where Tyrese Haliburton injured his left leg. @wojespn says it’s “hamstring soreness”. @ProFootballDoc you got any insight? pic.twitter.com/UFBXYJ8tPY
— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) May 24, 2024
Despite the setback, Haliburton led the league in assists per game (10.9) and was named to the All-NBA Third Team on Wednesday, an accolade that enables him to receive an additional $41 million on the contract extension he signed last offseason.
As the central figure of Indiana’s high-powered offense, Haliburton has had a fluctuating postseason, entering Thursday night with averages of 19 points, eight assists, and five rebounds on 49/38/85 shooting splits. His scoring has been a barometer for the Pacers’ success, averaging 21 points in wins versus 16 points in losses.
If Tyrese Haliburton is unable to play, the Pacers will likely distribute point guard duties between starting shooting guard Andrew Nembhard and backup TJ McConnell. Prior to Thursday’s game, Nembhard had a plus-23 rating for the playoffs, while McConnell was at minus-five, with Haliburton posting a plus-59. The Pacers will undoubtedly need their star guard if they hope to overcome the Celtics and win four of the next five games.
The team and its fans now await further updates on Haliburton’s condition, with hopes that he can recover swiftly and help lead the Pacers in their critical upcoming games.
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