There were massive concerns about Tyrese Haliburton’s health heading into last night’s game. He took a nasty fall on Monday while trying to drive past Chet Holmgren and reaggravated his lower leg injury. Diagnosis revealed a calf strain. But understanding the high stakes, Hali suited up in Game 6 despite his injury woes and led the Pacers to victory, keeping their championship dream alive. Now, his health is in question once again ahead of the biggest game of his career. And Tyrese’s latest sighting in Indiana is not helping his case one bit.

In a footage shot right before Pacers’ flight to OKC for Sunday’s Game 7, Haliburton was seen carrying an order from the fast-food restaurant Culver’s onto the team plane. Sure enough, the viral clip turned a lot of heads, questioning the star guard’s unhealthy eating habit at the time when he needs to be in the best shape of his life.

To beat Thunder on their home court, Tyrese will need to bring his A game. During his last trip to OKC, he played the worst playoff game of his career, finishing with just 4 points on zero made field goals. He needs to be much-much better on Sunday. So, Hali having fast food before the game might be the last thing Pacers fans want to see, especially when his calf injury has already diminished his production.

Before last night’s game, veteran insider Shams Charania revealed that Tyrese’s calf strain is a two-week injury, and had it been the regular season, he would surely have sat out. Even during his post-game interview, the point guard admitted that he is still dealing with the issue and had to undergo multiple hyperbaric chamber sessions to get in game shape. “We got a lot of people who take care of me,” he remarked. It’s clear that he is not 100%. However, that will not stop him from suiting up this Sunday.

Tyrese Haliburton reveals focus for Game 7 as lifelong dream comes true

Despite the doctor’s diagnosis, Tyrese was adamant on playing last night and had an honest conversation with the coaches, revealing his intention, “I’d beat myself up if I didn’t give it a chance. I just wanted to be out there and fight… I wanna be out there with my brothers to compete.” The risk paid off as he dropped 14 points and five assists, providing his team the spark they needed to win. So, don’t expect Sunday’s game to be any different.

Regardless of the calf strain and the massive Culver’s order, Tyrese is highly likely to suit up for Game 7 because this is his lifelong dream: “Its exciting man. It’s so so exciting. As a basketball fan, there’s nothing like a Game 7. There’s nothing like a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. Dreamed of being in this situation my whole life.”

Sunday’s game marks only the 20 NBA Finals Game 7 in history, so Hali is surely not going to miss the chance of playing on this rare monumental night. Moreover, he remains unbothered by the outside noise and has only one goal in mind, “Just not trying to look at it from like a big picture thing. We got one game. One game. Nothing that’s happened before matters. Nothing that’s gonna happen after matters. It’s all about that one game… So much of these games has come down to who’s gonna start the fight from a physicality standpoint and take care of the ball better, rebound the ball better. Those are the important things that we need to focus on. We gotta be ready to compete in Game 7.”

It’s the biggest game of Tyrese Haliburton’s career, the biggest game in Pacers franchise’s history. Do you think the point guard can answer the call and lead his team to their first title?

It’s one game for everything, and as we track every twist and every turn, stay locked into our live news center—this is one of those nights you’ll want to say you saw it all.