“Just will. Just be opportunistic. He’s so slippery. It’s not a guy that’s stagnant and doesn’t move. He runs as much as anybody in the league. Reminds me of Steph,” said Kenny Atkinson, when discussing how to limit Tyrese Haliburton on the court. Referring to him as the “head of the snake”, the head coach and his Cavaliers squad have made their best efforts to get the better of the 25-year-old, but in vain. Now, he and the Indiana Pacers hold a 3-1 lead over them, which means that one more loss, and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ epic tournament run will finally come to an end. Game 5 is an important one, and the last thing the Pacers would want is for Haliburton to be absent from the same. Fortunately, from an injury front, the player will be nothing but available.

According to the Indiana Pacers Injury Report, as highlighted by ESPN, Tyrese Haliburton’s name is nowhere to be found. This means that the player will certainly be available to take on Donovan Mitchell and co at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in the next few hours. It also means that the issues the player had with his back had not made a comeback.

Back in mid-March, Tyrese Haliburton sustained a sore lower back. That was consistent with the soft-tissue injuries that the player sustained over the years, which seemed to get aggravated over time. Even before the injury, Haliburton had been wearing something to help keep his back warm. That is, while he had been resting on the bench. His back was something that the Pacers squad had been monitoring all year. That injury then caused Haliburton to miss 3 games in March.

The issue with the back returned in April, causing the player to miss out on a matchup against the Orlando Magic and one against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Haliburton has mostly remained injury-free during the playoffs, which should also hopefully remain the case going forward.

The only player listed on the Indiana Pacers Injury Report is Isaiah Jackson. However, Jackson hasn’t played a game since November, as he continues to recover from a torn Achilles. Meanwhile, for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell himself is listed as ‘Questionable’. The star player had sustained a re-aggravation of a left ankle injury during Sunday’s game against the Pacers. He did not return for the game’s remaining minutes. Mitchell’s availability for the upcoming matchup will be a game-time decision, as Shams Charania reported.

In light of this update, at least one team will have to make adjustments to its starting lineup.

What will the starting lineup and depth chart for the Pacers-Cavaliers game look like?

Tyrese Haliburton has averaged 15.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 9.2 assists in his last 10 matchups against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Therefore, he will certainly be counted upon to carry the offensive load for the team, with others like Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, etc. Since Isaiah Jackson hasn’t played a game since November, his absence will not affect the Pacers much.

In light of this update, the starting lineup for the Indiana Pacers is expected to look like this:

According to RotoWire, in Donovan Mitchell’s absence, Ty Jerome is projected to see increased minutes. Over his last 10 matchups against the Indiana Pacers, he averaged 7.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. In light of this update, the starting lineup of the Indiana Pacers is expected to look like this:

The Indiana Pacers or the Cleveland Cavaliers? Who will you be rooting for? Let us know in the comments section down below.