This game could not have gone any better for the Pacers. They took control in the second quarter and extended the lead after halftime, which allowed them to manage Haliburton’s minutes. There were reports that if this were the regular season, Haliburton would likely be in line to miss multiple weeks. He showed incredible resilience by even suiting up, and while the numbers weren’t eye-popping, he played really well in this game and hit some big shots to help them take a big lead. They’ll continue to monitor his injury, but it would be shocking if he didn’t play in Game 7 on Sunday with a championship on the line.

Carlisle said that Haliburton went through strength testing and did “very well.” He also mentioned that there won’t be a minutes restriction, but they will monitor Haliburton closely. Trips to the NBA Finals don’t come around often, so it isn’t surprising that Haliburton will play through the injury. We’ll see if Haliburton’s presence, along with the home crowd, is enough to force a Game 7.

Haliburton is currently listed as questionable with a right calf strain. The 25-year-old point guard participated in practice on Wednesday and is expected to go through walkthrough ahead of Game 6 on Thursday. Shams said he was told Haliburton would miss multiple weeks if this were the regular season, but this game carries paramount importance as the Pacers are facing elimination in Game 6. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said earlier this week Haliburton would probably be a game-time decision.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said during his availability that Haliburton would be questionable for Game 6, so the official designation is unsurprising. The star point guard suffered a strained right calf during the first half of Monday’s Game 5 defeat. While Haliburton did his best to play through the injury, he lacked his usual burst and spent most of his time lingering on the perimeter. Even if Haliburton can play on Thursday, the Pacers will need more production from backup T.J. McConnell, who played well on Monday.