After splitting the first two NBA Finals games in OKC, the Pacers are back in Indiana, looking to gain the upper hand at home. To do that, they will need their superstar Tyrese Haliburton in top form, unlike the struggles he has faced so far in this series. But concerns began to rise about his health after he was seen limping during Sunday’s postgame presser. And veteran insider Shams Charania shed more light on the issue Haliburton is dealing with heading into Game 3.

“Tyrese Haliburton said he had a lower leg thing. I’m told he has an ankle issue. He’s dealing with soreness in that ankle.” The ESPN veteran remarked. Yes, the gruelling playoff schedule seems to have taken a toll on the star guard, causing soreness in his right ankle. However, Pacers are not too worried about Hali’s potential injury woes, “Pacers have said it’s a non-issue. He’s not even on the injury report.”

Even Tyrese confirmed that he is feeling fine and ready to take on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co, “I’m fine. Really just a lower leg thing. I’ll leave it at that. I don’t think there’s anything more to elaborate. I feel fine and I’ll be ready to go for Game 3.” Obviously, the three-day rest between Games 2 and 3 helps, giving the point guard time to recover.

Despite Haliburton and Pacers’ assurance, one sight could still worry the fans, as Charania highlighted, “He’s got that tape on that leg. He was limping after Game 2. So, they will be keeping a close eye as fans will tonight in Game 3.” During tonight’s pregame shootaround, Tyrese was seen warming up with a taped right foot underneath his socks. That hints that the “lower leg thing” is still bothering him and could be a cause for concern. Meanwhile, medical expert thinks it could be something far more serious.

Renowned medical expert addresses Tyrese Haliburton’s taped foot as Pacers star looks to end early game struggles

While Shams deemed it an ankle issue, renowned medical expert Dr. Brian Sutterer fears the concern might be more serious. “Not your typical tape position for an ankle injury. Looks like it could be an Achilles issue.” Based on the way Haliburton’s foot was taped, running down the back of his ankle, he believed it could be an Achilles issue. That’s not a good sign as we have already seen multiple superstars suffer season ending Achilles injury earlier this year.

Amid the concerns, Haliburton seems solely focused on helping his team win tonight’s crucial game. That would require him to overcome the early game struggles he faced in OKC. During Games 1 and 2, he was limited to single-digit scores in the first half, halting the entire team’s momentum. Although he was able to steal one game with his epic clutch shot, that might not be the case going forward.

That’s why Tyrese knows that he needs to come out much stronger tonight and dominate from the get go. “I just got to figure out how to be better earlier in games. Kudos to them, they’re a great defensive team. But (I will) watch the film, see where I can get better.” He said on Sunday. Do you think he can overcome his struggles in Indiana amid the injury concerns?