Is Tyrese Haliburton playing tonight against Brooklyn Nets? Latest on Pacers star's availability (Mar. 22)

Tyrese Haliburton leads a cast of doubts when the Indiana Pacers face the Brooklyn Nets for a second straight game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday. The Pacers will be looking to clinch the series, leading 2-1 against the Nets, highlighted by a hard-fought 105-99 overtime victory last night.

Haliburton has become the latest fitness worry for the Pacers. The star guard has missed the last three games with low back soreness, a condition visibly apparent as the two-time All-Star has been spotted using a heating pad while on the bench.

His situation was handled with extra caution by the medical staff, owing to the type of injuries he suffered in recent years, including last year's hamstring injury during the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics.

Haliburton showed signs of last year’s form after early-season struggles with injury. Keeping him healthy for the playoffs could lead the Pacers to sit him out for a few games down the stretch.

He’s officially cleared to play after being listed as questionable. During his absence, Benedict Mathurin was given the go-ahead and recorded 28, 23 and 22 points in the last three games—all of which resulted in Paces victories.

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Tyrese Haliburton stats vs Brooklyn Nets

Haliburton has averaged 20.0 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game and 8.5 assists per game against the Nets in 13 games and has six wins against them.

On Jan. 6, he scored a team-high 23 points in a 113-99 road win. He also led the team with 17 points in a 99-90 loss on Dec. 4.

His highest scoring outing against the Nets was 35 points in a 136-133 loss during the 2022 season.

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What to expect from Brooklyn Nets vs Indiana Pacers

Rick Carlisle’s men are unbeaten in their last three games, winning five of their last six, which will instill a much-needed confidence ahead of this game.

It’s also worth noting they’ve been grinding out gritty, close encounters. Their last three victories have been decided by six points or fewer, while four of their past five defeats came within seven points. Despite the close margins, they remain competitive, currently holding the fourth seed with a 40-29 record.

On the flip side, the visitors sit in the 13th place with a 23-47 record. They've lost their last two games and have a 2-12 record since the All-Star break. Most of their defeats have come in single digits, which should matter at this late stage of the season.

With the chance of even making the Play-In tournament now completely impossible, the Brooklyn team can only hope that the Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors go through the worst winless run in the remaining 12 games, a scenario that appears highly unlikely at this stage.