Let’s just rip the Band-Aid off: Tyrese Haliburton picked the worst possible night to go ice cold. Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the biggest stage of his young career, and the Pacers star flatlined. Zero field goals. Four points total. All from the free-throw line.
Yep. You read that right. Haliburton didn’t make a single bucket in Tuesday night’s 120-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to The New York Post. He bricked all six of his shots and looked like a shadow of the guy who’s been clutch throughout Indiana’s magical postseason run. Was it the pressure? Maybe. But more likely, it was the lingering injury to his right leg that was clearly hampering him at the worst possible time. “Tyrese Haliburton is not 100 percent,” head coach Rick Carlisle admitted after the game. “It’s pretty clear. But I don’t think he’s gonna miss the next game.”
Tyrese Haliburton’s Potential Injury Could Be an Issue
That’s a sigh of relief for Pacers fans, but also a cold reminder: even if Haliburton suits up, will he be Haliburton? The same dude who drilled game-winners against the Cavaliers and Thunder in earlier rounds? The guy who sent Knicks fans into therapy after hitting that game-tying dagger in Game 1 of the East Finals, because what we saw in Game 5 was not that guy.
To be fair, he didn’t completely vanish from the stat sheet. Tyrese Haliburton still managed seven rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes. But when your franchise cornerstone goes 0-for-6 on field goals and your team falls behind 3-2 in the Finals, it’s hard to find the silver linings. Especially when the other team is absolutely cooking.
Jalen Williams dropped a casual 40-piece on Indiana’s defense, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 points and 10 dimes for the Thunder. That’s 71 points from OKC’s dynamic duo, and no, that’s not a typo. Good luck winning any Finals game when the other team’s stars are dropping video game numbers and your own can’t buy a bucket.
Who Can Be the Next to Step Up?
Thankfully, Pascal Siakam showed up. The former Finals MVP (shoutout 2019 Raptors) tried to will the Pacers to victory with 28 points, six rebounds, and five assists. He was aggressive, composed, and the clear offensive leader when Haliburton couldn’t rise to the moment. Siakam even defended his struggling teammate after the game, telling reporters, “I don’t know exactly what’s wrong, but I know he’s fighting.”
That’s the thing. Nobody’s questioning Haliburton’s heart. He’s clearly battling something physical, maybe it was that slip on a drive in the first half that tweaked his calf. Whatever it is, it’s messing with his rhythm. And in the NBA Finals, rhythm is everything.
Now, the Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 6 with their season on the line. Down 3-2, they need back-to-back wins to secure the franchise’s first-ever NBA title. That means Haliburton needs to find something. Fast, because if he can’t get back to the All-Star level he’s shown all postseason long, Indiana’s Cinderella story might be heading for a midnight crash. Game 6 tips off Thursday. The stakes? Everything.
Emma Taylor 
