Tyrese Haliburton Not His Usual Self In Game 5 As He Battles Through Injury: ‘If I Can Walk, Then I Can Play!’

The Oklahoma City Thunder took care of business against the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night, scoring a 120-109 win and with it a 3-2 lead in the series.

The Pacers struggled throughout the night, with Tyrese Haliburton, who had been at the center of so many of the team’s comebacks this postseason, having a brutal game. Haliburton was held scoreless in the first half – his first scoreless half in his postseason career – and ultimately finished the game with just four points, all of which came from the foul line.

Haliburton was still working through his leg injury, as Pacers coach Rick Carlisle made clear after the game. But despite the injury, Haliburton was adamant that he was not going to be taken off the floor for the Pacers. Asked why he tried to play through his injury after the game, Haliburton’s answer was short and simple.

“I mean, it’s the NBA Finals. It’s the Finals, man,” Haliburton said. “I’ve worked my whole life to be here, and I want to be out there to compete. Help my teammates any way I can. I was not great tonight by any means, but it was not really a thought to not play here. If I can walk, then I want to play. They understand that. It is what it is, and I’ve got to be ready to go in Game 6.”

Given Haliburton’s resilience in playing through his injury, questions have been asked about whether closing Game 5 out with him was the right decision due to his struggles throughout the game and with backup guard T.J. McConnell having 18 points in 22 minutes, with 13 of those points being scored in the third quarter.

With how Carlisle talked about Haliburton’s injury, it sounds like the nagging injury isn’t going to be gone before Game 6 tips off on Thursday. Haliburton will be out there no matter what, but how effective he can be as a player remains an open question.