NBA Finals: Oklahoma City Thunder one game away from title after Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton struggles in game five | NBA News
The star of Indiana Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton, playing an injury, endured a terrible night in match 5 of the NBA final when Oklahoma City Thunder took a 3-2 lead in the series to move to a victory of their first title of the NBA.
Haliburton missed his six shots on the ground while ending with four points, seven rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes while the Pacers lost 120-109 in Oklahoma City.
Espn Reported at halftime, Haliburton played with the waterproofing of the calves in his right leg, the same leg on which he injured his ankle during a previous competition.
After the Pacers lost at the end of 3-2 in the series of best seven, the Indiana coach Rick Carlisle, said about Haliburton: “It is not 100%. It is quite clear. But I don’t think it will miss the next match.
“We were concerned at halftime. He insisted to play. I thought he had done a lot of good things in the second half. But he is not 100%. There are a lot of guys in this series that are not.”
Haliburton was on average 17.8 points, 7.5 assists and six rebounds in the final before Monday. He delivered the shot of the Handle Saut to pour the Thunder on their field in match 1 while the Pacers won 111-110.
Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Aalexander of Oklahoma has become the most useful player in the NBA this season mainly by being a dominant marker, but in match 5, he showed that he was quite good as a more traditional leader.
He collected 31 points and 10 assists in a secondary role for Jalen Williams, who paved the way with 40 points in the victory of match 5.
“He can assume a charge,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “I have already said that-he does so much for us as a basketball team at both ends of the ground when he is the best version of himself … He was great tonight. Make a difference when he is so good, that’s for sure.”
