Tyrese Haliburton couldn’t have picked a extra inopportune time to have one of many worst video games of his profession. On Monday night time, Haliburton scored simply 4 factors with out making a single one in every of his six field-goal makes an attempt on the night time because the Pacers suffered a 120-109 defeat in opposition to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. in Recreation 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals. It is essential to notice, nevertheless, that Haliburton was coping with a calf damage and was lower than one hundred pc.
Nonetheless, in opposition to a Thunder crew that has near no weaknesses, the Pacers can not afford such a horrendous efficiency from Haliburton. Nonetheless, just like how Haliburton at all times has his teammates’ again, Pascal Siakam, the Pacers’ greatest participant in Recreation 5 who powered them to inside two factors within the fourth quarter earlier than fading late, expressed his full assist for his ailing teammate.
“He is a fighter. I feel he is been our rock all 12 months. He is a giant motive why we’re right here. I do not know precisely what’s fallacious however I do know he is combating and he is gonna give us the whole lot he bought. We’re one hundred pc behind him, we assist him. I feel, one factor he is confirmed is resiliency. He is confirmed that every one 12 months.”
“I feel that we are able to depend on him to maintain combating and I like that from him simply ‘coz I do know that it is arduous. We bought a pair days to care for our our bodies, relaxation effectively, and be prepared for Recreation 6,” Siakam stated in his postgame presser, by way of Yahoo Sports activities.
Haliburton does a lot for the crew from an execution standpoint that they can not afford one other stinker like this in Recreation 6. The Pacers will at the very least want him to pose a scoring risk; he does not essentially have to attain 30. However both means, Siakam and firm will do no matter they’ll to present Haliburton the assist he wants as they head into the most important sport of the season.
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Pascal Siakam almost powers Pacers to one more comeback
With Haliburton nursing an damage, forcing him to be lower than one hundred pc, the Pacers wanted enormous productions from the remainder of the supporting solid to mount one other comeback in opposition to the Thunder. For what it is price, Siakam did the whole lot he can, pulling the Pacers to inside two factors within the fourth (95-93) earlier than he was subbed out by head coach Rick Carlisle to try to protect his power for crunch time.
TJ McConnell additionally did his fair proportion of the heavy lifting; he went off within the third quarter and reduce the deficit to single digits. He ended up being a +4, and he may play a equally enormous function in Recreation 6 ought to Haliburton battle but once more.