Since 3/10, the Pacers are 10-0 following a loss, winning by an average of 14.7 in those games.
Tyrese Haliburton likely to be game-time call, Carlisle says
The Indiana Pacers are preparing for the possibility of not having Tyrese Haliburton available to play in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, coach Rick Carlisle said in a radio interview Wednesday morning.Haliburton's availability is a concern after sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Tuesday that the Pacers star has a strained right calf.
He had been dealing with a lower right leg injury throughout the series, and it worsened during Monday's Game 5 loss. Haliburton played with the injury for most of his 34 minutes but failed to make a field goal as Indiana lost to Oklahoma City 120-109 to fall behind 3-2 in the series.
Now facing a win-or-else scenario, there is a chance Haliburton does not play in Game 6 on Thursday.
"He is going to be carefully evaluated over the next 36 hours and will likely be listed as questionable on the injury report and probably will be a game-time decision for Game 6," Carlisle told Indianapolis radio station 107.5 The Fan.
Haliburton was set to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the strain, sources told Charania.
"We have to prepare for two scenarios: one where he plays and one where he does not," Carlisle said in the radio interview.
If Haliburton cannot play, it would seem likely that the Pacers would promote guard T.J. McConnell to a starting role. McConnell has been brilliant throughout the playoffs and sparked a rally in which Indiana closed an 18-point deficit to two in the second half of Game 5 before Oklahoma City pulled away for good.
"Depending on the situation tomorrow, we may need him for significantly more minutes," Carlisle said of McConnell.
Haliburton left Game 5 late in the first quarter and returned to the bench area with a wrap on his lower leg. The Pacers, Carlisle said, discussed keeping Haliburton out for the second half. Haliburton vetoed those plans and played 17 minutes in the second half, leading the Pacers in rebounds and assists after intermission.
But Haliburton barely looked to shoot in the second half. It marked the first time in Haliburton's career that he logged at least 34 minutes in a game and failed to make a single field goal.
"I mean, it's the NBA Finals. It's the Finals, man," Haliburton said after Game 5. "I've worked my whole life to be here, and I want to be out there to compete. Help my teammates any way I can. I was not great tonight by any means, but it's not really a thought of mine to not play here. If I can walk, then I want to play. They understand that. And it is what it is. Got to be ready to go for Game 6."
After his postgame news conference following Game 2, Haliburton limped off with what was later revealed to be a right ankle injury. On Monday, he acknowledged this injury was in the "same area." Haliburton is averaging 15.0 points, 7.2 assists and 6.2 rebounds on 45% shooting through the first five games of the series.
The Pacers are scheduled to practice Wednesday. It will largely be a meeting and walk-through session, Carlisle said.
Game 6…. the NBA, the nickname "The Extender" is given to referee Scott Foster. This is due to the perception that teams trailing in a playoff series tend to win games officiated by Foster, thus extending the series. He is also known by the nickname "Agent 48"
Game 6 will be officiated by Zach Zarba, Tony Brothers and David Guthrie.
Great Thread As Always GreenBacks!!
I Like OKC GAME 7....But The 1st Q & 1st H OVER MORE!!
All The Best
-SDOC-
I Like OKC GAME 7....But The 1st Q & 1st H OVER MORE!!
All The Best
-SDOC-
Scott Foster not chosen as Capers, Tiven, Wright to ref Game 7.
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Veteran NBA official Scott Foster was not selected as one of the three referees for Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.The referees who were selected to officiate the first Finals Game 7 since 2016 -- and just the ninth since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976 -- were James Capers, Josh Tiven and Sean Wright, with James Williams serving as an alternate.
Foster, who has worked more Finals series (18) and games (26) than any of the 12 referees selected to officiate the series by the NBA, had been expected to be chosen to not only officiate this game but also likely to serve as its crew chief -- the role he held for his lone appearance during these Finals in Game 4 in Indiana on June 13.
After a lot of online discussion -- particularly among Pacers fans -- about the officiating in that Thunder win and about Foster specifically, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle went out of his way to defend Foster prior to Game 5.
"I think it's awful some of the things I've seen about the officiating and Scott Foster in particular," Carlisle said on June 15. "I've known Scott Foster for 30 years. He is a great official. He has done a great job in these playoffs. We've had him a lot of times.
The ridiculous scrutiny that is being thrown out there is terrible and unfair and unjust and stupid."
Carlisle said he did not want to get into specifics about what that scrutiny was.
Foster has long been considered one of the NBA's top officials, but he has also become a lightning rod for attention, as various players, teams and fan bases have taken issue with his work.
The other three referees who served as crew chiefs over the first four games of the series -- John Goble (Game 1), Zach Zarba (Game 2) and Capers (Game 3) -- all were given a second game, with Goble serving as the crew chief for Game 5, Zarba for Game 6 and Capers for Game 7.
Alongside Capers, who will be working his 17th career Finals game, will be the two officials who did Game 4 with Foster. Tiven is working in his sixth NBA Finals and will be officiating his 10th Finals game, and Wright is in his second Finals and working his third game.
Williams, Sunday's alternate, served on the crews in Games 2 and 5. He is the only person serving in a refereeing role three times in this series. Foster is the only referee to get one game -- as either a working referee or an alternate -- in the series.
