Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers was ruled out for the second half of their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Pacers announced it during halftime, with Haliburton dealing with left hamstring tightness. But what happened to the two-time NBA All-Star?
According to the Pacers, Haliburton is suffering from a left hamstring injury, and its severity remains unclear. It's the same left hamstring he injured almost at the same time last year against the Boston Celtics. He had to be carried out by his teammates although the injury was less severe than initially thought.
Haliburton finished the game with just two points, five assists, one rebound, one steal and one block. He went 1-for-5 from the field, but played almost 19 minutes as the Pacers were down 53-40 entering the second half without their best player on the court.
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Tyrese Haliburton has had hamstring issues since last season
Sunday's hamstring injury is not the first time Tyrese Haliburton has dealt with that kind of injury. Haliburton began having issues with his hamstring after suffering the initial injury on Jan. 8, 2024, against the Boston Celtics.
The All-Star guard was driving to the basket when he slipped and fell to the floor. His legs did a split motion, causing the injury to his hamstring. He was in pain and had to get carried back to the locker room.
There were fears of him having a torn hamstring, but it was later ruled as a strain. He initially missed just five games because of it, returning against the Portland Trail Blazers 11 days later. He re-aggravated it and missed five more games.
It was also the same hamstring injury that caused him to miss the final two games of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. He would recover and be named to Team USA for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
However, he barely played due to a "minor leg injury" that needed an MRI. It's unclear if it was his hamstring or a different issue.
Tyrese Haliburton reveals his frustration with hamstring injury
Speaking to reporters during his exit interview for the Indiana Pacers last season, Tyrese Haliburton expressed his frustration with his hamstring injury. Haliburton confirmed that it was the same left hamstring, but a different part of it and not the same kind of injury he had last January.
"It's been really frustrating," Haliburton said, according to Sports Illustrated. "It's been trash, honestly. You work so hard to get somewhere and something happens that's kind of out of your control. ... I could just tell that something was wrong."
Haliburton did not look like himself to start the season, with some fans attributing it to his leg injury. However, the Pacers guard said it was about his confidence and has since played much better.
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