NBA
Indiana Pacers injury update: Will Tyrese Haliburton play against the Knicks?
The 24-year-old point guard was added to the injury report ahead of Game 4 against the Bucks after suffering from back spasms.
The Indiana Pacers hope to have point guard Tyrese Haliburton in the team for Monday’s Eastern Conference semi-final Game 1 against the New York Knicks.
Halliburton reported back spasms ahead of the Pacers’ Game 4 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. The two-time NBA All-Star was added to the injury report for the Bucks game but was deemed fit enough to play in the Pacers’ crucial series-deciding win.
The 24-year-old has not yet missed a postseason game but his availability for Monday is listed as ‘Game Time Decision’ on the injury report. After averaging 19 points, 6.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds across his last three appearances the Pacers will be eager to have Haliburton in contention.
Haliburton hoping to learn from Indiana NFL star
The Indiana Pacers have not won the Eastern Conference championships since 2000 but their high-scoring 2023/24 performances have given fans hope that this could be their year. The Pacers recorded an NBA-high of 123.3 average points per game across the regular season, helped by the league’s most creative presence.
This season Haliburton tops the league for assists per game (10.9) and the highest number of assists in a single game, recording 23 against the New York Knicks. He will be hoping for a repeat in this semi-final series against the Knicks and has been looking to another Indiana sporting icon for inspiration.
The Indiana Colts’ Quenton Nelson is one of the most celebrated guards in the NFL, securing six consecutive Pro Bowl nominations since joining the league in 2018. Haliburton revealed recently that he has been watching film of Nelson for the Colts to help motivate him in the postseason.
Game one of the Knicks-Pacers series kicks off on Monday evening at Madison Square Garden, where tickets are changing hands for well over $300.
The Knicks have enjoyed an upturn in performances in recent years, making it to the Eastern Conference semi-finals for a second consecutive season. They have been inspired by the explosive performances of point guard Jalen Brunson, who has now scored at least 37 points in each of his last four games. This series could come down to a shoot-out between Brunson and Haliburton, two of the most talented point guards in the East.