The banged-up Indiana Pacers could be without their star guard Tyrese Haliburton in the do-or-die Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
ESPN’s senior NBA insider Sham Charania reported on Tuesday, June 17, that Haliburton “is believed to have suffered a strained right calf.”
The Pacers star is scheduled to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the strain.
Haliburton had his worst performance of the postseason in Game 5, scoring only four points — all on free throws — as the Oklahoma City Thunder grabbed a 3-2 series lead with a 120-109 win on Monday, June 16, at home.
He missed all of his six attempts from the field in 34 minutes.
Haliburton sustained the calf injury after he slipped on a drive in the first half. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle considered sitting Haliburton in the second half.
“I got him out early toward the end of the first half for two or three minutes because he just wasn’t moving well,” Carlisle told reporters after the loss. “He was tired, too. He got back in and seemed okay. Then halftime, we talked about it. Went through this whole thing already.”
Haliburton played through one leg in the second half.
“I mean, it’s the NBA Finals. It’s the Finals, man,” Haliburton told reporters. “I’ve worked my whole life to be here and I want to be out there to compete. Help my teammates any way I can.”
Tyrese Haliburton on Game 6
But his woeful performance did not help the Pacers to regain control of the series.
They were poised to take a 3-1 series lead until Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s late heroics willed the Thunder back in the final minutes of Game 4.
Then disaster struck the Pacers in Game 5 with Haliburton’s ill-timed injury.
“I was not great tonight by any means, but it’s not really a thought of mine to not play here,” Haliburton said. “If I can walk, then I want to play. They understand that. And it is what it is. Got to be ready to go for Game 6.”
The Pacers face elimination for the first time in this postseason Cinderella run. Carlisle said there was no way Haliburton would sit out the second half of Game 5 and in the all-important Game 6.
“He’s not a hundred percent,” Carlisle said of Haliburton. “It’s pretty clear. But I don’t think he’s going to miss the next game. We were concerned at halftime, and he insisted on playing.”
Now, the Pacers face a dilemma with their season on the line in the biggest game of the season.
“If you’re injured, that’s a different story,” Carlisle said.
Game 6 is scheduled in Indiana on Thursday, June 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET live on ABC.
Funko to Unveil Collectibles for NBA Champions
With the NBA Finals nearing its end, Funko, a leading pop culture lifestyle brand, is gearing up to launch a limited-time Pop! collectible 5-pack celebrating year’s NBA Champions.
Marking the third consecutive year Funko has celebrated the NBA champions with exclusive collectibles, the limited-time set gives fans a unique way to honor their team’s victory.
Officially licensed by the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), the collection will feature five standout players from the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Indiana Pacers, alongside the iconic Larry O’Brien Trophy, commemorating their journey to the title in true Funko fashion.
This 5-pack will be available for pre-order for two weeks only, exclusively on Funko.com and Fanatics.com, the moment the final buzzer in the series sounds.
Who will get the honor of having Funko’s third exclusive collectibles for the NBA champions: Will it be the Thunder or will the Pacers come from behind once again?
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