With the Pacers facing elimination in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, all eyes are on Tyrese Haliburton and his injury.
The Pacers star guard is dealing with a strained right calf, and the team remains cautious.
But, Haliburton made it clear Wednesday he intends to play.
“I want to be out there,” he told the media, as covered by Yahoo Sports‘ Vincent Goodwill.
Haliburton was visibly limited in Game 5, failing to make a single field goal the entire game.
He participated in Wednesday’s walkthrough but didn’t do any running, according to head coach Rick Carlisle.
“It’s a topic that people want to hear about and know about. There’s going to be a lot of questions about it. We will not really know for sure until late tomorrow afternoon or early evening,” Carlisle said.
When asked directly about the risk involved, Haliburton didn’t downplay it.
“I think it depends on who you ask,” Haliburton said. “You’re asking me. I think I have to be as smart as I want to be. Have to understand the risks, ask the right questions.… I’m a competitor. I want to play. I’m going to do everything in my power to play. That’s just what it is.”
Hali added, “It’s the Finals, I worked my whole life to get here… If I can walk, I can play.”
In 2019, Kevin Durant suffered a torn Achilles two quarters into returning from a similar calf issue in the Finals.
Haliburton acknowledged the risk, but emphasised trust in the Pacers’ medical staff.
“Yeah, I have a lot of trust in our medical staff,” Haliburton said. “I have a lot of trust in our organisation to make the right decision. I think there’s been many situations through the course of my career where they’ve trusted me on my body. They trust me to make the right decision on my body when the power is in my hands. I’m trying to try my best to do that.”
READ MORE: Tyrese Haliburton Battling Calf Strain But Adamant He’s Playing Game 6