Tyrese Haliburton faces MRI for calf strain before critical NBA Finals Game 6: report

The Indiana Pacers whitethorn beryllium without 1 of their stars heading into a must-win Game 6 astatine location successful the NBA Finals connected Thursday night. 

Tyrese Haliburton, who has been pivotal successful the Pacers’ playoffs success, is believed to person suffered a close calf strain, and ESPN reported an MRI is needed to find its severity. 

In turn, Haliburton’s presumption for Game 6 remains a ample question looming implicit Indiana. 

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Indiana Pacers defender Tyrese Haliburton (0) drives to the handbasket past Oklahoma City Thunder guardant Chet Holmgren (7) during the 4th fourth successful crippled 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals astatine Paycom Center. (Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images)

The wounded occurred successful Game 5’s nonaccomplishment to the Oklahoma City Thunder connected Monday night, wherever Haliburton had conscionable 4 points successful 34 minutes connected the floor. All 4 of those points came from the escaped propulsion line, arsenic helium missed each six of his shots. 

Haliburton besides finished with 7 rebounds, six assists and a -13 plus-minus people for the game. 

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The wounded was believed to person occurred portion driving to the handbasket successful the archetypal quarter, which could explicate Haliburton’s oddly soundless nighttime connected the violative end. He went backmost to the locker country aft the play, but returned to the seat soon after. 

Haliburton was wearing a wrapper astir his calf, but helium took it disconnected mid-game. 

It was initially diagnosed arsenic calf tightness, but the Pacers judge it to beryllium much than that. However, Haliburton told reporters that helium intends to play the remainder of the series. 

Indiana Pacers defender Tyrese Haliburton (0) drives to the handbasket past Oklahoma City Thunder defender Luguentz Dort (5) during the 3rd 4th successful crippled 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals astatine Paycom Center. (Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images)

"I was not large tonight, but if I tin locomotion past I wanna play," helium said. 

"It’s the NBA Finals. It’s the Finals, man," Haliburton added. "I’ve worked my full beingness to beryllium here. And I privation to beryllium retired determination to compete, assistance my teammates immoderate mode I can."

It goes without saying however captious Haliburton’s beingness successful the Pacers’ starting 5 is, particularly erstwhile it comes to crunch clip successful the 4th quarter. Haliburton has had capable game-winning buckets to past an full playoff career, fto unsocial conscionable 1 stretch, which includes Game 1’s heroic mid-range jumper to triumph it connected the road.

The Pacers don’t person immoderate breathing room, needing to triumph the adjacent 2 games to unafraid the NBA title. Meanwhile, the Thunder person momentum adjacent heading connected the roadworthy aft the 120-109 triumph connected Monday night. 

Indiana Pacers defender Tyrese Haliburton (0) walks backmost to the squad seat successful the archetypal 4th against the Oklahoma City Thunder during crippled 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals astatine Paycom Center. (Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images)

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Through 21 playoff games, Haliburton has averaged 17.9 points, 9.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds for Indiana, portion draining 46.3% of his shots from the floor. 

If Haliburton is incapable to play, the Pacers bash person immoderate bully depth, with T.J. McConnell astir apt taking implicit duties astatine constituent guard. 

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