Tyrese Haliburton’s injury could not come at a worse time. After losing Game 5, if Haliburton misses even a few minutes of Game 6, it will not be enough for the Pacers against a red-hot Thunder. During Game 5, the Pacers guard did manage to play 34 minutes, but throughout the game, he limped, winced, and winced again, before ultimately injuring his right leg. For the first time in his postseason career, the 25-year-old went scoreless from the field. Zero field goals on six attempts, four points, six assists, and seven rebounds. Not the numbers Haliburton is known for. But wasn’t this bound to happen?

Before their 120–109 defeat in Game 5, the Pacers suffered a great loss in Game 2 as well. No, not the game. Well, they lost, but the bigger loss was Tyrese Haliburton’s injury in that game. He’s not been at 100% for them ever since. But things got much worse after he tripped and seemed to re-aggravate the injury. The limp was much more noticeable, and so was the injury’s impact on Hali’s game. 4 points, 0-6 from the field, and 3 turnovers—worrying stats for the regular and a death sentence in the Finals. But what is this lower leg injury bothering the Pacers’ floor general? And given how compromised Hali looked in Game 5, will he even appear in Game 6? And if he doesn’t and the Pacers manage to force a Game 7, will he return by then?

Here’s what we know so far.

What injury does Tyrese Haliburton have? How long will it take to recover from it?

If you want the short answer but half the picture, then Tyrese Haliburton has a calf strain. But it’s not as simple as that. The 25-year-old has to undergo an evaluation to understand the extent of the damage to his leg. And by evaluation, Hali has to get an MRI done on Tuesday, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Now, it’s a test of patience for the Pacers.

That said, going by the Cleveland Clinic, mild calf strains usually require only a few days to heal. However, the more severe cases require several weeks to months of recovery time. And to put it bluntly, the Indiana Pacers cannot afford that as they face elimination in Game 6, down 3-2 in the series. But you see, once you have a calf strain, you have a higher risk of future strains. So, even if Hali’s case isn’t that severe, it’s best that the Pacers exercise caution.

However, judging from the Olympic gold medalist and his head coach’s words, it doesn’t seem like they’re planning to take the cautious route ahead of this pivotal game.

Will Tyrese Haliburton play in Game 6 of the NBA Finals?

Depending on what the MRI says, the Pacers could play Game 6 without their talisman. But if we’re being honest, the chances of Tyrese Haliburton not playing appear slim, regardless of what the MRI says. And we say this based on what the man himself said about his chances in Game 6 as the Pacers face losing the NBA Finals.

“It’s the NBA Finals, man. I’ve worked my whole life to be here… If I can walk, then I want to play,” said Hali. Clearly, he recognizes the gravity of the occasion and wants to do all he can to be there when his team needs him. And to that end, he’s even willing to put his body on the line for Indiana. Say what you will about him, you can’t really question his grit and toughness.

And his head coach also seemed to acknowledge that Hali will be playing in the next game. “He’s not at 100%. That’s pretty clear. But I don’t think he’s going to miss the next game… he insisted on playing,” said Rick Carlisle. But a member of Carlisle’s staff, Lloyd Pierce, told Lisa Salters during Game 5 that the Pacers had enough quality to win, with or without Haliburton.

Losing Tyrese for the decider will be the biggest blow for the Pacers, which is not impossible right now. And if this happens, Indiana will have to count big time on T. J. McConnell, who is likely to take over the point guard, especially against a team that has defeated them in the last 2 games to go 3-2 up in this series. But until we learn what that MRI says, we won’t really know for sure. So, let’s hope those results come out soon!