Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton had to be carried off the floor by his teammates on Monday after slipping on the court against the Boston Celtics. Haliburton underwent an MRI on Tuesday and it revealed a Grade 1 left hamstring strain that will likely sideline him for at least two weeks, per Adrian Wojnarowski.
Late in the second quarter on Monday, Haliburton was driving to the basket against Derrick White when he planted and tried to spin back the other way. Unfortunately, his right leg gave out and he ended up doing the splits in an awkward fall to the ground. He seemed to know right away that something was wrong and grabbed for the back of his left leg.
The Pacers went on to win the game 133-131 in Haliburton’s absence, and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle called the injury “very deflating.”
Tyrese Haliburton had to be carried to the locker room after slipping and suffering an injury on this play.
Hoping for the best 🙏pic.twitter.com/ZYGh2euvA3
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 9, 2024
Haliburton was unable to walk off on his own power, and multiple teammates had to come scoop him up off the ground and carry him down the tunnel.
Tyrese Haliburton being carried to the locker room by his teammates after slipping on the floor @Firststarlog👇 pic.twitter.com/qenZ8qLGg0
— Daniel Alameda (@AlamedaViews) January 9, 2024
Any absence whatsoever is bad news for the Pacers, who go as Haliburton goes. But Wojnarowski reports the star guard avoided serious injury, and the Pacers will be thankful his likely return is coming in weeks instead of months.
Haliburton, a fourth-year point guard, is in the midst of a breakout campaign that includes leading the Pacers to the championship game of the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament back in December. Entering Monday night, Haliburton was averaging 24.2 points and a league-leading and career-high 12.7 assists per game. He is on pace to become the first player since John Stockton in 1995 to average 12 assists in a season. Additionally, he led all Eastern Conference guards in the first return of fan votes for the 2024 All-Star Game, which will be played in Indiana.
With Haliburton leading the way, the Pacers play at an extremely fast pace and have the best offense in the league. In fact, their 122.4 offensive rating would be the best in NBA history. Thanks to their high-powered offense, they sit in sixth place in the East at 21-15.