Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) appears unlikely to play in a pivotal Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday, paving a clear path for the Celtics to advance to the next round.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on the injury development Saturday afternoon.
ESPN Sources: Indiana Pacers All-NBA G Tyrese Haliburton is unlikely to play Game 3 vs. the Boston Celtics tonight with a left hamstring injury. Boston leads the Eastern Conference Finals 2-0. pic.twitter.com/7QGJVg94OS
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 25, 2024
No team in NBA history has ever come back from an 0-3 series deficit, and Indianapolis must dig deep to avoid that hole without its best player.
Haliburton leads the Pacers in assists per game (nine) through the first two games of the East finals and is second in points (17.5) behind forward Pascal Siakam (26).
The Celtics announced on Friday they will remain without big man Kristaps Porzingis (leg), who hasn’t played since Game 4 of the opening round (April 29), but are otherwise healthy. Stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have averaged a combined 62.5 points per game so far this series, while guard Jrue Holiday has added 21.5 points on an absurd 69.6 shooting percentage.
Haliburton’s injury marks the third consecutive round in which Boston has benefitted from another team’s injuries. Heat forward Jimmy Butler missed the entirety of the Celtics’ 4-1 first-round series win, and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell missed the final two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals, a series Boston also won in five.
The slew of injuries have certainly helped the Celtics, but considering they were far and away the East’s best team during the regular season, it’s difficult to say how much they’ve really mattered.
But for fans who wanted to see some competitive series prior to the Finals, they’re certainly disappointing. They’re also a reminder to the Mavericks and Timberwolves to invest in bubble wrap.
