Tyrese Haliburton has been battling throughout his first trip to the NBA Finals. His Indiana Pacers have been in a back-and-forth series with the team holding the top record in the NBA this past season, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The series ended up being tied 1-1 after two games and 2-2 after four games. The Thunder would go on to win Game 5 in Oklahoma City, pushing the Pacers to the brink of elimination ahead of Game 6 in Indiana.
Haliburton himself has been pushed to the limit. He ended up playing through injury in Game 5, with some even blaming him for the loss. ESPN Insider Shams Charania was able to give an update ahead of Game 6 on the severity of Haliburton’s injury.
Tyrese Haliburton’s Injury Usually Needs a Multiple Week Recovery
Charania cleared the air on just how severe the right calf strain Haliburton is dealing with really is. Charania noted that, “there is no set minutes restriction right now and they will closely monitor him, but the most important part of Tyrese Haliburton playing tonight was when he passed a strength test on that right calf.”
Charania continued, saying that, “Doctors told Haliburton Wednesday night that this is a two-week injury. If this were the regular season, he would not be playing tonight, but it’s the NBA Finals, and Tyrese Haliburton has said if he can walk, he can play. He’s walking, and he’s playing tonight.”
Shams Charania: “Doctors told Tyrese Haliburton that his calf strain is a multi-week injury But it’s the NBA Finals he can walk so he’s playing” pic.twitter.com/pnUu8RWmhc
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) June 20, 2025
Charania is referencing a statement Haliburton made after Game 5, where he said, “If I can walk, then I want to play,” and he is doing just that for Game 6. Haliburton is an essential piece to the Pacers’ puzzle and has been the driving force of their offense all year as the starting point guard of this team.
Haliburton has also been the one to close out games for the Pacers all season. He is shooting a remarkable 13 of 15 from the field (86.7%) on shots to tie or gain the lead in the final two minutes of games.
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This includes a game-winning pull-up jumpshot in Game 1 of these NBA Finals with just 0.3 seconds left. That shot would complete Indiana’s 15-point fourth quarter comeback on the road in a hostile Paycom Center environment that was hosting its first NBA Finals Game since 2012.
The Pacers need Haliburton to be himself, running the show and orchestrating the offense if they want to win Game 6 and force a Game 7 back in Oklahoma City. Haliburton knows this and wants to play badly to do everything he can to help his team secure the win.
