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Jamal Collier
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton dismissed any concerns over his injury status heading into Game 3 of the NBA Finals, acknowledging after practice on Tuesday that he was dealing with “a lower leg thing” but that he felt fine and would not be hampered in any way for Game 3.
“I don’t think there’s anything more to elaborate,” Haliburton said. “I feel fine and I’ll be ready to go for Game 3.”
Haliburton walked with a limp as he exited his postgame news conference after scoring 17 points in Game 2, a 123-107 loss in Oklahoma City on Sunday night. At practice on Tuesday, Haliburton had his right ankle taped, but according to coach Rick Carlisle, the Pacers star guard was not limited on the court.
“I know he has some discomfort,” Carlisle said Tuesday. “He feels it. But each day it’s getting better. I don’t think you’re going to hear him making a big deal out of it.
“This is the time of year where it just doesn’t get any better than this. The atmosphere, the interest, the opportunity, coming back and being at home, I mean, there’s just so much to be excited about. We’ve got a couple guys that are slightly under the weather; I don’t think anything is going to keep these guys from playing in the game.”
Instead of dwelling on any potential injury, Haliburton was much more focused on his need for improvements entering Game 3. He is averaging 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists on 50% shooting so far in this series, thanks to back-to-back strong fourth quarters. He acknowledged after Sunday’s game that he needed to be better in the first half of games to prevent the Pacers from falling behind by double digits — a task easier said than done against the Thunder defense.
“They’re really connected on the defensive end,” Haliburton said. “I feel like they mix up coverages. Coach [Mark] Daigneault isn’t afraid to do things on the fly. He doesn’t do anything that’s like very traditional.
“They’ve really done that all year. I just feel like they’re willing to mix things up. The biggest thing is just personnel. Their personnel is different than everywhere else.”
Extra defensive attention has been a theme throughout the postseason from opposing teams trying to get the ball out of Haliburton’s hands, but Carlisle noted there was one major difference with the Thunder.
“The difference is Oklahoma has more people to throw at a great player,” Carlisle said. “We’ve gone through these situations many times, not only during the playoffs, but during the regular season, not just this season but prior seasons. We’re going to have to adjust and create better situations. We’re going to have to be better.”
For Haliburton, getting better starts with reviewing film. He has developed into a meticulous film watcher over the past few seasons, which has helped him and the Pacers make adjustments from game to game.
Indiana has not dropped back-to-back games since March 8-10.
“Playing two games against these guys is really good,” Haliburton said. “It gives me more film to watch, see where I can be better. I feel like I haven’t been great by any means the first two games. I’m just trying to take what I can to prepare me for Game 3, just trying to be the best version of myself.”
