Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton has been remarkable over the team’s memorable playoff run, leading the organization back to the conference finals for a second consecutive year.
Aside from his exceptional offensive production and sound defense, Haliburton has also come up with some clutch shots late in games to overcome talented opponents. The All-Star has started every postseason game for the Pacers this season and is leading by example with a team-high 34.9 minutes per game.
Pacers fans can expect to see Haliburton back out on the court commanding his team for their Eastern Conference finals matchup against the New York Knicks on Sunday. The 25-year-old is not listed on the injury report and is expected to once again start the game for Indiana.
Tyrese Haliburton Wrist Concerns
Like many players in the postseason, Haliburton has been dealing with an injury over the last few weeks. The point guard suffered a left wrist injury (non-shooting hand) while contesting a rebound during Game 2 of their conference semifinals game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 6.
Members of the Pacers staff may have been concerned when Haliburton went in for an X-ray at halftime, but he promptly returned for the second half. Haliburton quelled any doubts about his health with a stellar second-half display. He finished the game with 19 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, and more importantly, went on to drill a late 3-pointer to give his team a 120-119 win on the night.
Following the Game 2 win, the Wisconsin native didn’t seem too concerned about the injury setback.
“It’s fine. Obviously a little sore,” said Haliburton.
Underrated. #TyreseHaliburton pic.twitter.com/n5pND2BZ3o
— Jay Kim (@luckymong1)
Over the next few games, Haliburton taped up his wrist and seemed to play through any pain he was feeling.
During Game 2 of their series against the Knicks on May 23, he did not have his left wrist taped up, a positive sign for the Pacers organization and their fan base.
Haliburton’s Playoff Numbers
Haliburton may have come into the postseason with a chip on his shoulder after being voted the “most overrated” player in the league by his peers. A string of outstanding performances over the last few weeks has silenced any “overrated” talk with Haliburton on the verge of leading the Pacers back to the NBA finals for the first time in 25 years.
Haliburton is contributing in a variety of ways. He ranks first among all NBA players in the postseason with 9.6 assists per game. The sharpshooter also ranks second in the Pacers lineup in points (18.3), behind only forward Pascal Siakam. Haliburton is also chipping in with 5.6 rpg, 0.8 spg, and 0.8 bpg.
