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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

Tyrese Haliburton continued to stay on the court after a scary injury. The Indiana Pacers had a daunting task ahead of them: winning games to stay alive in the playoff run. Whereas the NY Knicks were in a comfortable position, 2-0 up in the series, and looking to close out on a high. And eventually, they will look to reach their first conference finals for the first time in 24 years. However, amid these circumstances, the Pacers rising superstar suffered an ankle injury in the fourth quarter.

With around seven minutes left in the game, Haliburton tweaked his ankle and was seemingly in immense pain. Despite the pain, the star continued to stay on the court and limped across the court. With the game going into a clutch in the last five minutes, the star stuck for the side till the very end.

Fortunately, Tyrese Haliburton‘s herculean effort to stay on the court didn’t go in vain. The Pacers finally opened their account in the series with a thrilling 111-106 win over the Knicks. The 24-year-old played the anchor role, scoring a game-high 35 points with 7 assists.

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Even though Haliburton led the game with his shooting skills, dropping six 3-pointers, it was Andrew Nembhard who stole the show. With scores tied at 106, Nembhard sank a heavily contested 31-footer with 17 seconds remaining in the game. It not only shocked the Pacers crowd but also left Haliburton in disbelief. Notably, Nembhard had a 1-7 FG with 0-2 from the arc before sinking the dagger in the clutch.

While the Pacers finally opened their account in the series, Haliburton’s availability for the upcoming games is also important. Following the game, the star said, “I am okay,” during the presser. And speaking of the ankle twister, he added, “I rolled my ankle on that steal…Landed on my tailbone. So overall body. I am just hurtin’… Everybody’s hurtin’ right now…I’ll heal up & be ready to go on Sunday.”

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Will Tyrese Haliburton & Co. level the series on Sunday?

The rising superstar made himself part of NBA history with his ankle injury. He became the fifth player in the league’s history to drop back-to-back 30-pointers with six or more three-pointers. With a promising performance to keep the team alive in the series, he can square things for the Pacers with another similar run.

However, the injuries seemed to be a major concern for the star. Ahead of Game 3, the team listed him in the questionable category with lower back spasms. Despite that, he made himself available and played through a lot of pain on the side.

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Similarly, on the other side, the Knicks also have a lot of injuries. Notably, OG Anunoby was ruled out for tonight’s game with hamstring soreness, and Mitchell Robinson was ruled out for the rest of the season for his ankle injury. As a result of the plaguing injuries, Josh Hart has been facing the heat. He played the entire stretch of the first two games and clocked out for the first time in the third quarter tonight.

Will both teams manage their injuries and put up a competitive performance in Game 4? Let us know in the comments.