Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Halliburton has been facing the challenge of recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered on Jan. 8 against the Boston Celtics. And following his initial return against the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 19 – a game in which he logged 35 minutes with 21 points and 17 assists – he apparently re-aggravated the previously injured hamstring.
Now, Haliburton is set on a minute restriction imposed by the team’s medical staff of what appears to be 22 minutes. The Pacers All-Star didn’t mince words when discussing the fact that he’s been forced to miss the fourth quarter of two games – against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday and New York Knicks on Thursday – and the first quarter of one (against the Kings on Friday).
“Obviously, it’s frustrating. I’m a guy who wants to play at all times,” Haliburton said after Friday’s 133-122 loss to the Sacramento Kings (his former team) per The Athletic’s James Boyd. “This [injury] just sucks. … But I can’t go back in time and change what happened.”
Haliburton has been stellar this season, averaging 22.8 points, 12.0 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game, but even while posting modest stat lines in his 22 minutes the past three games, it’s apparent that it’s been tough for him to get into rhythm. Haliburton has shot 60% from the field in the past two games, but has totaled just five assists against the Knicks and one against the Kings. These numbers are almost unheard of for a player who averaged 14 assists per game in December.
There’s little doubt that Haliburton will return to form once he’s back to full strength, but hamstring injuries can linger and the Pacers have now dropped three consecutive games. Indiana still holds the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 27-23 record, but the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic both sit just a half game back now.