INDIANAPOLIS ¨C Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle admits his point guard is not fully healthy, but he¡¯s 100% 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 ¡ª more than any game in the previous series against the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks ¡ª 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.
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