Is Tyrese Haliburton playing tonight in 2024 NBA All-Star Game? Latest on Pacers guard's status 

There's no way Tyrese Haliburton sits out Sunday night's 2024 NBA All-Star Game on the Indiana Pacers' homecourt. The Pacers' hero is likely expected to draw the most cheers during the contest for obvious reasons. Haliburton enters this clash as an All-Star starter for the first time and a two-time All-Star.

What better way to do it than to have your name introduced as a starter at the marquee exhibition annual game held on your franchise's homecourt? Haliburton was the top-voted player after securing a No.. 1 rank in player, fan and media voting alongside East Captain Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Haliburton's averaging 21.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 11.7 assists (league-high), shooting on 49/40/85 splits in 43 outings. He's led the Pacers back into the mix as legitimate playoff contenders as the franchise centerpiece.

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What happened to Tyrese Haliburton?

If there were concerns about Tyrese Haliburton's participation, it would've been due to the hamstring injury on Jan. 8 against the Boston Celtics that has forced him to miss 10 games. Haliburton slipped on a layup attempt and had to be carried by his teammates off the floor. It was feared to be a season-ending injury.

However, it was only a Grade I strain, which allowed Haliburton to return in five games before he slightly reaggravated it and missed another five games. He was on a minute restriction for seven consecutive games since returning, which eased up over his past two outings.

Haliburton was active on NBA All-Star Saturday Night, participating in the Kia Skills Challenge and Starry 3-Point Contest. He won the Skills Challenge with his Pacers' teammates Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner but exited the 3-Point Contest via a tie-breaker after the first round.

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How did Tyrese Haliburton fare in the NBA All-Star Game last year?

Tyrese Haliburton makes his second NBA All-Star appearance with the traditional East vs. West format.

Last season, he was drafted eighth by LeBron James among the reserves. Haliburton played only 13 minutes but was uber-efficient, tallying 18 points and three assists on 7 of 9 shooting, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range.

He will likely have a prominent role to play this time as a starter, especially with being a home crowd favorite as the only Pacers' player on the floor. The East enter this game as the underdogs.

However, with the crowd rallying behind Haliburton, they could have a solid shot at causing an upset against arguably one of the best West rosters in years, including LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry, among others.