“We were concerned at halftime. He insisted on playing,” said Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle about Tyrese Haliburton during the post-game presser. Amongst the worst things that can happen to a team when going through the NBA Finals is their star player getting injured. The Pacers’ point guard turned that fear into reality after he grabbed at his lower right leg after an awkward fall in the first quarter. He briefly left Game 5 for treatment, but while he did not look right, he returned to the court and continued playing. Why didn’t he sit out this one game? Well, the man himself revealed the answer soon enough.
NBA reporter Scott Agness was able to get an answer from Tyrese Haliburton when the player was asked why he chose to play through the pain. Haliburton reportedly replied that “I mean it’s the NBA Finals. It’s the finals — I’ve worked my whole life to be here. It was not really a thought of mine to not play here. If I can walk, then I want to play.” Nothing more to say, just Respect!
Haliburton on playing through pain: “I mean it’s the NBA Finals. It’s the finals — I’ve worked my whole like to be here.
“It was not really a thought of mine to not play here. If I can walk, then I want to play.”
— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) June 17, 2025
There is no denying that Haliburton’s performance in Game 5 of the NBA Finals wasn’t exactly vintage. And the stats back it up as well, as he only scored 4 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
This is a developing story.
The post Tyrese Haliburton Breaks Silence on Leg Injury After Game 5 Loss to Thunder appeared first on EssentiallySports.
