The Indiana Pacers are in serious trouble.
The Pacers suffered a 120-109 Game 5 loss to the Thunder on Monday night, allowing Oklahoma City to take a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals. Worse yet, star guard Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana’s best player, suffered a leg injury during the first quarter and, although he returned later in the game, clearly was limited.
More bad news arrived Tuesday when ESPN insider Shams Charania reported that Haliburton suffered a right calf strain and will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.
Charania hadn’t offered additional details at the time of this writing. We likely won’t know about Haliburton’s availability for Thursday’s Game 6 until the Pacers reveal the results of his MRI.
Haliburton finished Game 5 with four points, six rebounds and seven assists in 34 minutes.
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Indiana’s chances of winning the NBA Finals obviously would take a major hit if Haliburton is forced to sit out Game 6. And even if Haliburton plays Thursday, it’s hard to envision him performing like his usual self.
With all that said, Game 6 will be played in Indiana, so the Pacers could rise to the occasion in front of their home crowd and force a Game 7, in which anything can happen. But the franchise’s hopes for winning its first NBA championship are fading.
