Pacers prepare for G6 with or without Haliburton

The Indiana Pacers are preparing for the anticipation of not having Tyrese Haliburton disposable to play successful Game 6 of the NBA Finals, manager Rick Carlisle said successful a vigor interrogation Wednesday morning.

Haliburton's availability is simply a interest aft sources told ESPN's Shams Charania connected Tuesday that the Pacers prima has a strained close calf.

He had dealing with a little close limb wounded passim the series, and it worsened during Monday's Game 5 loss. Haliburton played with the wounded for astir of his 34 minutes but failed to marque a tract extremity arsenic Indiana mislaid to Oklahoma City 120-109 to autumn down 3-2 successful the rubric series.

Now facing a win-or-else scenario, determination is simply a accidental Haliburton does not play successful Game 6 connected Thursday.

"He is going to beryllium cautiously evaluated implicit the adjacent 36 hours and volition apt beryllium listed arsenic questionable connected the wounded study and astir apt volition beryllium a game-time determination for Game 6," Carlisle told Indianapolis vigor presumption 107.5 The Fan.

Haliburton was acceptable to acquisition an MRI to find the severity of the strain, sources told Charania.

"We person to hole for 2 scenarios: 1 wherever helium plays and 1 wherever helium does not," Carlisle said successful the vigor interview.

If Haliburton cannot play, it would look apt that the Pacers would beforehand defender T.J. McConnell to a starting role. McConnell has been superb passim the playoffs and sparked a rally wherever Indiana closed an 18-point shortage to 2 successful the 2nd fractional of Game 5 earlier Oklahoma City pulled distant again for good.

"Depending connected the concern tomorrow, we whitethorn request him for importantly much minutes," Carlisle said of McConnell.

Haliburton near Game 5 precocious successful the archetypal 4th and returned to the seat country with a wrapper connected his little leg. The Pacers, Carlisle said, discussed keeping Haliburton retired for the 2nd half. Haliburton vetoed those plans and played 17 minutes successful the 2nd half, starring the Pacers successful rebounds and assists aft intermission.

But Haliburton hardly looked to sprout successful the 2nd half. It was the archetypal clip successful Haliburton's vocation that helium logged astatine slightest 34 minutes and failed to marque a azygous tract goal.

"I mean, it's the NBA Finals. It's the finals, man," Haliburton said aft Game 5. "I've worked my full beingness to beryllium here, and I privation to beryllium retired determination to compete. Help my teammates immoderate mode I can. I was not large contiguous by immoderate means, but it's not truly a thought of excavation to not play here. If I tin walk, past I privation to play. They recognize that. And it is what it is. Got to beryllium acceptable to spell for Game 6."

After his postgame quality league pursuing Game 2, Haliburton limped disconnected with what was aboriginal revealed to beryllium a close ankle injury. On Monday, helium acknowledged this wounded was successful the "same area." Haliburton is averaging 15.0 points, 7.2 assists and 6.2 rebounds connected 45% shooting done the archetypal 5 games of the series.

The Pacers are scheduled to signifier Wednesday. It volition mostly beryllium a gathering and walk-through session, Carlisle said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.