Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle gave a concerning update on star player Tyrese Haliburton following the team's 120-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the ongoing NBA Finals. Tyrese Haliburton appeared visibly limited, clearly he was affected by his lingering right calf injury which he suffered early in the series.
What did Rick Carlisle say about Tyrese Haliburton?
After a tough Game 5 outing for Tyrese Haliburton, head coach Rick Carlisle said that the star player is not at his full strength. Haliburton clocked 34 minutes along with 4 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Despite the setback, Carlisle showed optimism that Haliburton won't be missing any time in the series.
He's not at 100%, Carlisle said of Haliburton. But I don't think he's gonna miss the next game. There's a lot of guys in this series that aren't.
Haliburton had to exit Monday's Game 5 against Thunder after he aggravated his right calf injury during a drive to the basket. He straight away headed towards the locker room, but he didn't stayed out for too long as he returned on the court shortly after.
Haliburton has been suffering from his right calf injury since Game 2 of the NBA Finals against Oklahoma City Thunder. It was clearly evident that he was in pain as he walked out of the media room limping after the team's tough loss in Game 2 in Oklahoma.
NBA insider Shams Charania on Tyrese Haliburton's injury
NBA insider Shams Charania provided a major update on Haliburton's injury during the halftime of Game 5 on Monday. He revealed that Haliburton is suffering from calf tightness in the same leg in which he experienced ankle soreness.
It clearly showed in his game that Tyrese Haliburton was not at his fully best in Game 5 against the OKC Thunder on Monday. He will now have two days to rest and recover as Indiana Pacers take on Oklahoma City Thunder in a must win game on Thursday. The seven game series is currently led 3-2 by Oklahoma City Thunder.