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INDIANAPOLIS (AP)— Tyrese Haliburton would likely be sitting out Thursday’s game if it were a regular season matchup. In fact, if it were December or January, he might be expected to miss a week or two due to his strained right calf.
However, this is June, the NBA Finals are at stake, and the Indiana Pacers find themselves in a crucial situation. This urgency is motivating Haliburton to explore every possible avenue to be on the court for the must-win Game 6 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which is scheduled for Thursday night at 8:30 ET (ABC).
Whether the star guard and Olympic gold medalist will take the floor is the major question as Game 6 approaches, and a definitive answer might not come until just a few hours before the 8:40 p.m. Eastern tip-off.
“I need to be as intelligent as I can be,” Haliburton remarked on Wednesday. “I have to be mindful of the risks and ask the necessary questions. I’m a competitor at heart. I want to play, and I’ll do everything within my power to make that happen. That’s just the reality.”
There is some positive news for the Pacers: Haliburton participated in all aspects of practice Wednesday. The downside, however, is that his involvement consisted primarily of observing 25 minutes of film, a 30-minute walkthrough, and some light shooting, largely from a stationary position.
“He’ll go through tomorrow’s session,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle stated on Wednesday. “Our preparation will take place late tomorrow afternoon. They’ll conduct some assessments to determine his playing status. If he can’t go, we have a contingency plan in place.”
Carlisle also mentioned regarding Haliburton’s Game 6 availability, “We won’t know for certain until late tomorrow afternoon or early evening.”
Haliburton is exploring every treatment option available to alleviate his calf strain, a diagnosis confirmed by an MRI on Tuesday. This includes hyperbaric therapy, acupuncture, massages, electrical stimulation, and specialized taping.
“Whatever it takes,” he insists.
“We’ve got warriors on this team,” said Pacers forward Obi Toppin. “We’re all prepared to play through injuries. Ty is a warrior, and I’m confident he’ll be ready. But we still don’t have all the answers.”
Haliburton has been managing an ankle problem earlier in the series, and now he must also contend with this calf issue; it’s unclear if the two injuries are connected, but that’s secondary at this point.
The calf strain arose during Monday’s Game 5 loss in Oklahoma City. Haliburton managed to play significant minutes but struggled, failing to make a field goal throughout his 34 minutes on the floor, contributing to Indiana’s 120-109 defeat and putting them at a 3-2 deficit in the championship series.
Now, in this win-or-go-home context, there is a possibility that Haliburton may not participate in Game 6 on Thursday.
If Haliburton is unable to play, it’s likely that guard TJ McConnell will step into the starting role. McConnell has performed exceptionally well during the playoffs and was a key contributor in Game 5, helping the team close an 18-point gap to just two points in the second half before Oklahoma City regained control.
“He adds another ball handler who knows how to get us into position and quicken our tempo,” noted Pacers forward Pascal Siakam about McConnell. “He performed exceptionally in the last game, and he will be critical for us moving forward.”
Haliburton addressed the media before Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
In Game 5, Haliburton left the court in the first quarter but made his way back to the bench with a wrap on his lower leg. Despite the pain, he played a total of 34 minutes, but unfortunately went 0-for-6 on his shots, hardly looking to score in the second half. He ended the game with seven rebounds, six assists, and just four points.
This marked the first instance in Haliburton’s career where he logged over 34 minutes without making a field goal.
According to Carlisle, the team considered holding Haliburton out for the second half, but he pushed back and ended up logging 17 more minutes, leading the team in rebounds and assists during that time.
Haliburton was part of the Olympic gold medal-winning team in Paris last year but was also hampered by injuries then, missing the final games in the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston due to a hamstring issue.
“I have immense faith in our medical team and our organization to make the right choices,” Haliburton expressed. “There have been many instances throughout my career where they’ve trusted my judgment regarding my body. I want to be out there — that’s the goal.”
