Things are looking bad for the Indiana Pacers as they host the Boston Celtics in their first home game in the East finals. First off, they are currently down 2-0, and Boston’s clean sweep at home was not a good indication for the Pacers. On top of that, their primary offensive option, Tyrese Haliburton, has been the receiving end of Jrue Holiday’s lockdown defense. However, that’s not the end of it.

According to reports, “There is “real concern” from the Pacers about Tyrese Haliburton’s availability and potential impact the remainder of the Eastern Conference Finals.” While the post also indicated that, “Haliburton will do everything he can to play against the Celtics, but it’s a very likely scenario he will be nowhere close to 100%,” his real status will not be clear until the tip-off.

During Thursday night’s 126-110 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton sustained a hamstring injury. Haliburton left the game with less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter, hobbling to the locker room. Shortly after, the Pacers announced that their point guard would not return to the game due to left hamstring soreness. He concluded the game with 10 points, eight assists, and four rebounds in 28 minutes of play.

The Pacers have added concerns about the injury to Haliburton, particularly because he sat out 10 games in the regular season due to a left hamstring strain, which is the same injury he aggravated on Thursday. Following his comeback from this injury at the end of January, Haliburton experienced a notable decline in his performance, despite his impressive start to the season. So, what’s in store for the Pacers?

What’s to come for Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers?

As the driving force behind Indiana’s dynamic offense, Haliburton has experienced a fluctuating postseason, averaging 18.7 points, 8.2 assists, and 4.8 rebounds with shooting splits of 49/38/85. His scoring output has often mirrored the Pacers’ success, with an average of 21 points in wins compared to 16 points in losses.

In the event of Haliburton’s absence, the point guard responsibilities are likely to be divided between starting shooting guard Andrew Nembhard and backup TJ McConnell. Ahead of Thursday’s defeat, Nembhard boasted a playoff plus/minus of plus-23, while McConnell registered minus-five, contrasting with Haliburton’s impressive plus-59. Clearly, the Pacers will heavily rely on their floor general if they aim to secure four victories in the next five games against the formidable Celtics.

Can the Pacers reach the NBA finals? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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