"Protect me from myself" - Tyrese Haliburton recounts being willing to risk long-term injury with bold Game 3 decision
Tyrese Haliburton missed the final two games of the Indiana Pacers' Eastern Conference finals series against the Boston Celtics due to a strained left hamstring. However, according to Haliburton, he was willing to risk playing through the injury until Indiana's front office and his agents prohibited him from doing so.
The star point guard sustained his injury in the third quarter of Game 2, exiting the contest and not returning. The Pacers lost 126-110 on the road, dropping them into an undesirable 2-0 deficit heading back to Indiana.
During Tuesday's season exit interview, Haliburton said he had difficulty walking after Game 2 due to swelling in his leg. So, he had to wait until the day of Game 3 to undergo an MRI.
However, he noted that the pain was more manageable when he woke up that morning. Thus, he attempted to play through the injury and help the Pacers secure their first win of the series.
"I felt better the day of Game 3," Haliburton said. "I mean, I could barely walk the day after the game, and then Game 3, I felt good. I called my agents that morning and said, 'Hey, I feel good. I'm not going to lie to you guys, I really don't care what you say, I'm gonna try to play.'"
According to the two-time All-Star, the organization and his agents overruled his desire to play, citing the long-term risks of playing through another hamstring injury.
"There was obviously an organization-wide meeting with our front office, my agents, with everybody," Haliburton said. "I think they did what their job is, [which] is to protect me from myself, and wouldn't allow me to play Game 3. I understand the long-term implications of the chances of re-hurting my hamstring. I'm just very thankful for this organization for protecting me from myself."
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Tyrese Haliburton strained the same hamstring on Jan. 8, getting sidelined for 10 games. He returned earlier than anticipated from the injury to hit the minimum 65-game requirement to qualify for All-NBA consideration.
The 24-year-old ultimately earned All-NBA third-team honors after appearing in 69 games while putting up career-best production. However, as he noted, the injury continually hindered him after his return.
So, with the Pacers trailing 2-0 against the league-best Celtics, it appears they felt Haliburton returning early again wasn't worth the risk. Without him, Indiana still put up a respectable fight, though. It lost Games 3 (114-111) and 4 (105-102) by three points apiece en route to suffering a Round 3 sweep.
Tyrese Haliburton unconcerned about missing 2024 Olympics due to hamstring injury
While Indiana is eliminated from NBA title contention, Tyrese Haliburton still has the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics to look forward to. He is part of Team USA's 12-man men's basketball roster looking to secure the gold.
While he is still rehabbing his hamstring injury, Haliburton noted that he should be healthy in time for Team USA's training camp.
"[I have] no concern," Haliburton said. "I think the biggest thing is I've got six weeks until I have to report to camp. I'll be in Indy doing the majority of my treatment and rehab and stuff. So, six weeks is a pretty long time. I didn't have that ever during the year with the previous injury, so there's no concern."
So, it appears that Tyrese Haliburton should make a full recovery not only for the Olympics but also for the start of his fifth NBA season in the fall.
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