INDIANAPOLIS — Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle admits his point guard is not fully healthy, but he’s 100 percent certain Tyrese Haliburton is playing in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.
The best-of-seven series is tied 1-1.
“I don’t think you’re going to hear him making a big deal out of it,” Carlisle said Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse of Haliburton’s status as the Finals stage was being set in Indiana for the first time since 2000.
“This is the time of year where it just doesn’t get any better than this. The atmosphere, the interest, the opportunity, coming back and being at home. I mean, there’s just so much to be excited about. We’ve got a couple guys that are slightly under the weather; I don’t think anything is going to keep these guys from playing in the game.”
Haliburton delivered the dagger jumpshot to sink the Oklahoma City Thunder on their home court in Game 1 and win 111-110. Carlisle said Haliburton was “feeling it” during Game 2, when he was dogged by a physical defensive rotation, turned the ball over five times — more than any game in the previous series against the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks — and is 5-of-15 from 3-point range in the first two games of the Finals.
Haliburton described his injury as a “lower leg thing” and referred to it as a non-factor.
“I’ll leave it at that. I don’t think there’s anything more to elaborate. I feel fine and I’ll be ready to go for Game 3,” Haliburton, 25, said.
In 73 regular-season games, Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 9.2 assists.
Game 4 is scheduled for Friday night in Indianapolis.
–Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media
