Is Tyrese Haliburton playing tonight against Milwaukee Bucks? Latest update on All-Star's status (Dec. 7)
Tyrese Haliburton has been a vital cog in the Indiana Pacers lineup this season. His maiden triple-double in the quarterfinal of the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament against the Boston Celtics earlier this week saw the Pacers punch their ticket to the semifinals of the marquee tournament. They now face Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, Dec. 7, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
As for his availability, the guard will be suiting up for a stern test against the Bucks. The Pacers walked away with a 126-124 win against Milwaukee in a regular season matchup earlier, and it was Haliburton again who starred with 29 points, six rebounds and 10 assists. In the skirmish against the Celtics, he propped up 26 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists to beat Boston 122-112 despite Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum's 30-point outings.
The All-Star will be the cynosure of all eyes again when both teams square off to book a Finals berth. On a side note, the Pacers will not have Jalen Smith (heel) playing in the semifinal and is potentially ruled out of the final as well.
Tyrese Haliburton is fast evolving into a bonafide NBA superstar
The numbers say it all. Tyrese Haliburton is the real deal and apart from becoming the cornerstone of the Indiana Pacers franchise, the guard is also rapidly rising as the next NBA superstar. His clutch heroics and his offense have been a talking point this entire season.
Haliburton heads into Thursday's matchup averaging 26.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 11.9 assists this season. His last five games have seen him notch up 32.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 11.6 assists, justifying why he was worth the mammoth five-year, $260 million extension he inked with the team earlier this summer.
His scrappy and hardworking trait resonates with the Pacers who have been that sort since the Reggie Miller era. Paul George was one of the players who was their last major impact star, they now have Haliburton who is surrounded by the the right pieces in Buddy Hield and Myles Turner who can see them make the playoffs and hopefully beyond.
A win against the likes of Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks' rebuilding defense would cement Indiana and Tyrese Haliburton as a major threat in the East. They are 11-8 in the regular season and placed sixth in the standings. A win will catapult them into the top five.