Despite all odds, the Indiana Pacers have built a remarkable lead over the Milwaukee Bucks during the Playoffs series. The franchise currently holds a 3-2 lead and needs just one more win on their side to qualify for the next stage. With the return of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard looking more eminent, the Pacers will need to close this win soon, using Tyrese Haliburton and other lead scorers of the team. However, injury reports cast doubts about his availability earlier, and a recent update continues to do the same.

A few hours ago, NBA reporter Scott Agness took to his official X account to highlight details from the Pacers’ recent injury report. According to it, Tyrese Haliburton has been listed as ‘Questionable’ for the third time in a row. Furthermore, the player was not even seen in the practice session preceding the main matchup. On the bright side, no other players from the team are listed on the report.

The 24-year-old point guard had already missed 10+ regular season games after developing a hamstring injury in January. Now, he is facing a challenge with lower back spasms. While Haliburton has made himself available during all 5 of the playoff games, there was a drop in his playing time after Game 3. This is the first time that the Pacers have entered the playoffs since 2020, and they would not want to bench one of their highest scorers at this stage. However, if his back issue aggravates, the team will have no choice but to play without him.

According to reports, T.J. McConnell and Andrew Nembhard will get additional responsibilities and playtime in such a situation. Notably, the Pacers’ success can also be credited to the unavailability of their rival team’s lead scorer, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He has been listed as ‘Out’ on the injury report since the beginning of the playoffs. This status was due to his calf injury and continues to remain the same for Game 6.

Point guard Damian Lillard was responsible for leading the offensive front in his absence. However, he developed an Achilles Injury during Game 3 and remained absent during the next two games. Unlike the Greek Freak, his status for Game 6 is listed as ‘Doubtful’. Two other players, Khris Middleton and Patrick Beverley, are listed on the report as ‘Probable’.

Tyrese Haliburton Playoff stats vs. Bucks

A few weeks ago, ‘Hoops Tonight’ host Jason Timpf highlighted a considerable difference in Tyrese Haliburton’s performance; before and after recovering from his hamstring injury. While the same level of performance was seen during the playoffs as well, it was enough to give the Pacers their required momentum.

USA Today via Reuters

In the last 5 games, Haliburton has put up an average score of 15.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 9.2 assists. His minutes were increased to 46 during Game 3 but were later dropped below 35. He made 6–13.8 field goals, 2.8–8–8 three-pointers, and 1-1.2 free throws per game.

During Game 3, Tyrese Haliburton recorded the first-ever triple-double of his career. He also scored 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 16 assists, allowing him to become the fourth-ever Pacers player to record this feat during the playoffs.

Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam are the X factors behind the Pacers’ current success. Removing even one of them from the equation would waste the 3-2 lead that has been established. Along with making himself available during Game 6, the point guard must ensure that he continues to maintain the same average as he did during his last 5 faceoffs.