NBA Finals, Haliburton's One Leg Brings Title Hope to Pacers

INDIANA, THURSDAY — Guard Tyrese Haliburton seemed to need only one leg and one half to restore the Indiana Pacers' NBA championship hopes. After being feared to be out with a calf injury, Halibuton played on game day and inspired the Pacers to victory with a dominant first-half performance.

For the Pacers, the failure to win the championship feels very close. As they approach game six, trailing 2-3 in the final series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, they are just one loss away from losing everything. This reality is exacerbated by Haliburton's condition, who has been suffering from a right calf muscle injury since the beginning of game five.

Haliburton was forced to play in the fifth game after an injury on Tuesday, but the outcome was not as expected. He lost his touch and failed to score any points from open play. According to ESPN, the injury is quite serious. The player from the United States national basketball team will have to sit out for several weeks.

However, Haliburton kept his promise. Previously, he stated that he would continue to play as long as he could walk. Haliburton then stepped down and inspired the Pacers' victory over the Thunder 108-91 in Game Six at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indiana, United States, on Friday (20/6/2025 WIB). The NBA Finals series is now tied 3-3. The Pacers have forced a championship decider into Game Seven.

"I just want to play and be on the court with my brothers (other players)," said Haliburton about the secret to returning in game six. "They are the ones I would want to go to war with. We have a special bond. I would blame myself if I didn't try," he added.

Haliburton made amends in Game 5, when the Pacers lost 109-120. He didn't have to play long, just the first two and a half quarters, but he managed to contribute 14 points, 5 assists, 2 steals. Almost all of those contributions were recorded in the first half, when he led the Pacers to a 22-point lead.

Haliburton, the gold medalist from the Paris 2024 Olympics, played for only 23 minutes. However, he recorded the best plus-minus statistic (+25). This means that the Pacers were able to outscore their opponents by 25 points while the playmaker was on the court. His impact cannot be denied.

They played tougher. When that happens, it's hard to change things. - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander -

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle also praised Haliburton for prioritizing the team's interests above all else. "He is very important to us. The best thing about him is that there is not much drama. He is straightforward and does not seek extra attention. He just does everything to get back on the court," he said.

Haliburton advised Carlisle to replace him if he performed poorly as he did in Game Five. He did not want his ambition to continue playing to disrupt the team's balance. This high spirit and sense of togetherness turned out to be contagious to the other players and the home supporters.

The 25-year-old didn’t look like he was injured. Late in the second half, Haliburton stole the ball from opposing forward Jalen Williams. He ran on a counterattack and passed to Pascal Siakam. The scheme culminated in Siakam’s explosive dunk in Williams’ face. The entire stadium roared.

Almost all Pacers players performed well. Six players contributed double digits, including Siakam (16 points) and Andrew Nembhard (17 points). A solid performance was also shown by veteran guard T. J. McConnell who contributed a total of 12 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals from the reserves.

McConnell played the role of a substitute for Haliburton perfectly. He allowed Haliburton to avoid returning to the field after exiting in the third quarter. Haliburton could rest and ice his calves on the bench. Meanwhile, the Pacers were already leading 90-60 at the end of the third quarter.

The immense energy in the Pacers' arena could not be contained by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates. The Thunder had surrendered by the beginning of the fourth quarter. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault deployed all the bench players to replace the starting lineup. "They played tougher. When that happens, it's hard to change the situation," said Shai.

Shai performed far below par despite still being able to score 21 points. He made too many mistakes by making eight turnovers. The number of turnovers was the most in his career. Shai's error record almost reached the total of all Pacers players (10 turnovers).

Williams (16 points), the Thunder's second option, also couldn't do much after becoming the hero of the victory in game five with a contribution of 40 points. The forward actually became the player with the worst plus-minus record, which was -40. That means the Thunder were 40 points behind the Pacers while Williams was on the court.

The efficiency of three-point shooting became a distinguishing factor in the match earlier. The Thunder's long-range shooting accuracy was only 26 percent (8-30), compared to the Pacers' 35.7 percent (15-42). This difference was even more pronounced in the first half. All Thunder players made only one three-point shot while Haliburton had already made three.

As a result, the champion team of this season will be determined through the final duel in the seventh or last game. The match will take place at the Thunder's home, Paycom Stadium. Whichever team wins, whether the Thunder or the Pacers, will become the NBA champion for the first time in the history of their respective clubs. (AP)