Indiana Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered a hamstring injury against the Cleveland Cavaliers last night and didn’t play in the second half. Haliburton played 19 minutes in the first half against the Cavaliers, but the Pacers ruled him out for the rest of the game at halftime due to tightness in his left hamstring.
Injury Update: Tyrese Haliburton (left hamstring tightness) will not return to tonight’s game against the Cavs.
Pacers Star Guard Suffers Another Injury; How Long Will He Be Out and Impact?
Haliburton compiled two points on 1 of 5 shooting, including 0 of 2 from deep, and five assists in the first half. He added a steal a block and committed one turnover. But he recorded a -14 plus/minus rating.
Despite being without their two-time all-star and down 13 at the break, Indiana came out of the locker room on a vengeance. The Pacers outscored the Cavaliers 37-18 in the third quarter, as Benedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, and Pascal Siakam combined for 29 points. The Pacers continued their onslaught, winning the quarter (31-22) in the final period en route to a 108-93 victory.
While the severity of Haliburton’s injury isn’t known—Pacers coach Rick Carlisle didn’t really add much following the game, per Indiana Star’s Dustin Dopirak—it is concerning and couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Rick Carlisle said all he knows about Tyrese Haliburton is that he was experiencing some tightness. Didn’t have anything beyond that.
This is Haliburton’s third left hamstring injury in over a year. He missed 10 games after injuring his left hamstring on January 9, 2024. He injured the same hamstring in a different place during Game 2 of the Pacers’ Eastern Conference Finals series against Boston. Dopirak added that it was not “immediately evident if this constitutes a re-injury or a new one.”
What Does Haliburton’s Injury Mean For The Pacers
With the win, Indiana remained unbeaten in January and extended its season-high win streak to six games. The Pacers also handed Cleveland (33-5) its fifth loss of the season and snapped the Cavaliers’ 12-game winning streak.
Indiana has been one of the best teams over the last 15 games. The Pacers are 12-3, the third-best mark in the NBA, during this stretch, with the fifth-best scoring differential at 7.8. All six victories of their current win streak have been by double digits, giving the Pacers nine such wins during these past 15 games.
A big reason for the Pacers’ success this week has been their health. The Pacers, who have been relatively healthy all season, saw all 10 of their top players play at least 13 games during this period.
Indiana increased its offensive production to 118.7 points a game, but more importantly, the Pacers tightened up their defense. Over the last 15 contests, the Pacers are third in offensive rating (117.8) and eighth in defensive rating (110.4), which is a four-point improvement over their season average.
Individually, Siakam and Haliburton have been the catalysts over this 15-game stretch. Both players are playing their best basketball of the season.
Siakam is producing 20.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists with a shooting split of 51.5/40.3/66.7. Meanwhile, Haliburton had been struggling for much of the season. However, the 24-year-old point guard has upped his production to 19.2 points, 9.5 assists, and just 1.3 turnovers while shooting 49/40.5/87.5 over this 15-game stretch.
Who Will The Pacers Turn To Start At Point Guard If Haliburton Misses Time?
Despite not knowing the severity of the injury, expect Halibutrton to miss at least one game, but probably more. A hamstring injury generally takes at least a week to heal. Haliburton is officially listed as doubtful for tomorrow’s home rematch against Cleveland.
“Tyrese Haliburton is listed as doubtful for Tuesday’s game against the Cavs, which will air nationally on TNT,” Pacers beat writer Scott Agness tweeted earlier this evening.
The good news is that the Pacers have a plethora of players who can fill the point guard role. The more complicated part for the Pacers will be to fill the scoring and 3-point shooting void.
Haliburton has recorded 15, 20-point games. He is draining a career-best three treys a game and has made at least that many in a game 22 times.
Haliburton, who has not missed a game this year, has sat out several games since coming over from Sacramento in a 2022 trade deadline deal. He missed 26 regular season contests in 2022-23 and 15 games last year, plus two playoff games, while also not starting one of the contests.
Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell are the Pacers’ other two point guards. Nembhard will likely get the starting nod, as he filled in for Haliburton as the team’s primary facilitator when Haliburton was out last season, including both playoff games.
Nembhard, who has had injury issues, can certainly handle the point and is averaging a career-best 4.9 dimes this season. He totaled 19 assists when he took over as lead guard during the final two Finals games.
I feel comfortable,” Nembhard told the media today about taking over the lead guard role. “I’m bringing the ball up a lot when Ty’s in the game, so I feel comfortable with the ball in my hands.”
Options at Shooting Guard
McConnell has starting experience but is at his best with the second unit. Like Nembhard, he is an excellent defender and facilitator who does not go out and score 20 points a night. Neither player has tallied 11 points in a season. Regardless of McConnell’s role, he will see an uptick in minutes in games Haliburton misses.
If Nembhard does indeed move over to the one — the Pacers are 17-8 in games the 6-5 third-year pro has started — the Pacers will have to decide on who to the first unit to start alongside. Ben Sheppard, Quenton Jackson, and Aaron Nesmith have also started at the two this year.
Sheppard has started six games this year, with his last opportunity at the end of December. Although Sheppard has shown the ability to score in bunches, the 23-year-old off-guard has struggled as a starter. He didn’t hit double-figures in any of his six appearances, averaging just 3.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 26 minutes.
Quenton Jackson and Aaron Nesmith
Jackson, on a two-way deal, has started seven of his 18 appearances this year. He has shown some promise, though he can only be active for 20 more games before the Pacers have to release him or add him to the 15-man roster. The 26-year-old produces 9.1 points, 2.7 boards, and 2.7 assists with shooting splits of 50/46.7/69.2.
Jackson is officially listed as questionable for Tuesday’s clash against Cleveland. His status will likely not be known until Haliburton’s status is fully determined. The Pacers’ other two-way players, RayJ Dennis and Enrique Freeman, are also questionable for the contest.
Meanwhile, Nesmith has been declared out for tomorrow. It marks his 35th straight absence due to his left ankle sprain. While no timetable has been officially set, he has been trying to regain his condition and is participating in 5 on 5 work.
While the above has discussed how the Pacers will likely replace Haliburton in the lineup, how will they replace his scoring production? Nesmith, McConnell, and possibly Jackson will have to increase their scoring production. Moreover, Siakam and Mathurin will be tasked with a heavier offensive workload.
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