A left hamstring soreness has Tyrese Haliburton on the Indiana Pacers injury report. Haliburton sustained the injury in Game 2 vs the Celtics as this marks his second straight missed game. The Pacers haven’t won any game since the beginning of the Eastern Conference Finals, with the Cs taking a 3-0 lead.

With the unavailability of Tyrese, along with two other key players, the chances Indiana will live to see another day are unlikely. Boston could very well have had the easiest matchup of the postseason vs the Pacers. Apart from Haliburton, Benedict Mathurin (right shoulder labral tear) and Jalen Smith (illness) have also been listed as ‘Out’.

The 2x All-Star had left Game 2 with less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter with a chest injury. It was later revealed that he wouldn’t be returning. The ‘Beantown’ won that round with a 126-110 score. Haliburton had also aggravated his hamstring, which sidelined him for 10 games in the regular season. Although he did return to the court towards the end of January, there has been a decline in his performance since.

Wojnarowski reported that Tyrese has wanted to keep playing despite his injuries. However, “the team, especially Rick Carlisle, their front office, they want to err on the side of caution with him.” Having played for four seasons in the NBA, this was Tyrese’s first playoff run. And while he managed to get his team as far as the East Conference Finals, the road ahead looks to have ended.

In the 15 games that he has played, Haliburton is averaging 18.7 points, 8.2 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game while going 37.9% from downtown and 48.8% from the field. Both are higher numbers than his 2023-24 regular season stats in the respective categories. Then again, it is essential to up your shooting game in the postseason. After all, you will be going up against battle-hardened teams.

T. J. McConnell stats without Tyrese Haliburton

An undrafted Arizona product, the nine-year veteran, T. J. McConnell, was called on to take the load as Tyrese Haliburton had to be sidelined. As the reserve guard, McConnell was the go-to person for Indiana to trust to take their team over the edge. Ingrained into the Pacers culture since 2019, the 6’1 point guard has been stable before and after the franchise star, Haliburton’s arrival.

“We feel like he’s the head of the snake.” This was how the Cs’ veteran guard, Jrue Holiday, had described T.J. after the Game 3 win. Boston might have won that round, but not before the 32-year-old gave grief to the Jays. Known for his crafty baseline attack, the same move that many NBA coaches have now dubbed the “Nash dribble,” McConnell finished the game with 23 points, six assists, and nine rebounds in 29 minutes of game time.

Then again, the 2x Pac-12 All-Defensive Teamer has always stepped up in Haliburton’s absence. In 59 games with Tyrese in the regular season, T.J. averaged 10.1 points, 5.1 assists, and 2.7 rebounds. However, in the 12 games that Indiana’s star guard was absent, the Pennsylvania native had 11.0 points, 7.3 assists, and 2.8 rebounds. As for the postseason, the only game that McConnell played without Haliburton was in Game 3.

But when playing with Tyrese in the picture, T.J. averaged 10.8 points, 5.1 assists, and 2.5 rebounds. In the crucial Game 4 tonight, the Pacers are giving it their all.

With a close injury scare on T. J. McConnell from Jaylen Brown, with 7 minutes left in the fourth, the Indianapolis crowd held their breath. He sustained a hit to the head, but he returned to the matchup, determined to see it through.

Unfortunately, T.J.’s heroics weren’t enough to save the day as the Celtics swept the series 4-0 with a 105-102 victory.

The Pacers’ playoff journey came to an end, but your binging journey hasn’t! Stay tuned for more such updates, and click below to watch Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato talk about ‘SHAQ’- the brand.