Indiana Pacers’ All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton will be sitting out for at least the next three games, as confirmed by Coach Rick Carlisle. Haliburton has been out of action for six of seven games due to a strained left hamstring that he suffered on Jan. 8 during a game against Boston. The injury occurred when he slipped while driving to the basket and was carried off the court by his teammates. Following an MRI the next day, it was diagnosed as a strained hamstring.
Although he made a comeback in the recent game against Portland, he was not able to play against Phoenix on Sunday and has now been ruled out for the first three games of Indiana’s four-game homestand this week. There is a possibility that he may miss the fourth game as well.
According to Carlisle, the training staff was not comfortable with Haliburton’s response to the Portland game and hence, he will be sitting out for the next three games. The games that he will miss are against Denver, Philadelphia, and Phoenix. The Pacers will assess his progress and decide whether he will be available for the game against Memphis on Sunday.
Haliburton is currently leading the Indiana Pacers in scoring with an average of 23.6 points per game and is also the NBA’s assist leader with 12.6 per game. He made his first All-Star appearance last season and was leading the fan balloting among Eastern Conference guards as of the most recent update by league officials last Thursday.
The starters for the All-Star game on Feb. 18 are scheduled to be announced on Thursday. A healthy Haliburton could be playing in front of Pacers fans as Indiana is hosting its first All-Star Game since 1985.