Indiana Puts Haliburton’s Game 6 Status to Game-Time Decision

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Indiana Pacers are in danger of missing Tyrese Haliburton’s presence in the pivotal Game 6 of the NBA Finals after the management added him to the team’s injured list with a Game-Time Decision (GTD) description.

During the Pacers’ Game 5 loss, Haliburton went down without any contact in an attempt to go downhill to Oklahoma’s shaded lane. He then headed to the locker room to undergo further assessment and heaved a sigh of relief to the Indiana bench after returning in the second quarter.

However, Haliburton had a huge wrap around his calf area, after the Indiana medical team diagnosed him with calf tightness.

The injury appeared to bother him after having his worst game of the NBA Finals as he only scored four points without any field goal made. He added seven rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes of playing time.

Haliburton’s poor performance reflected how his team needed him in crunch time, as they failed to mount the closing run when they were able to trim their 18-point deficit to just two points, 95-93, off a Pascal Siakam three-pointer.

During their Game 1 comeback, Haliburton went clutch after stunning the Thunder with the game-winning jump shot, but failed to deliver when the Pacers needed him in the must-win Game 6.

According to ESPN’s veteran NBA insider Shams Charania, Indiana suspects that Haliburton suffered a strained right calf and will need magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to confirm the injury.

With the sudden turn of events, the Pacers fear that Haliburton might not suit up for Game 6, depending on his willingness to fight through it and the final decision of the management’s medical team.

Haliburton proved that he is the driving force of Indiana as he averaged 17.9 points, 9.1 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game in the entire post-season.

He was the reason why the Pacers pulled off three insane playoff comebacks this year, against the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the New York Knicks.

If he will not be able to suit up for the Eastern Conference champions, the Pacers will have to rely on their steady backup floor general, TJ McConnell, as well as consistent outings from Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, and Bennedict Mathurin.

There will still be a day left before Indiana releases the official medical report on Haliburton as Game 6 against the Thunder will kick off on June 20, 2025.