Tyrese Haliburton avoided serious injury after a scary moment against the Celtics in early January. He now appears to be inching closer to a return.
Late in the first half of the Pacers' win over the Celtics on Jan. 8, Haliburton slipped and suffered an apparent leg injury. After going down, Haliburton was unable to put weight on his leg and needed his teammates to carry him off the floor. He did not return.
Haliburton, who is enjoying a breakout season, has been a major catalyst for Indiana. With him in the lineup, the team is 20-13 but the Pacers are 3-4 in the All-Star guard's absence.
Now, with Indiana's splashy move to acquire Pascal Siakam from Toronto, all eyes are on the potential return of Haliburton, with whom Siakam will make a dangerous pairing. Here is the latest update on Haliburton's status.
MORE: Why Pascal Siakam and the Pacers are a perfect match
What is Tyrese Haliburton's injury?
Haliburton's injury is a left hamstring strain, the team announced on Jan. 8.
Haliburton suffered the injury with just three minutes remaining in the first half against Boston. As he attempted to drive past Celtics guard Derrick White, Haliburton slipped on the court and lost his footing, forcing him into a split.
Here is the play where Haliburton went down:
After a towel was placed over his head, Haliburton was carried off by teammates Buddy Hield and James Johnson.
How long is Tyrese Haliburton out?
Haliburton will make his return on Friday, Jan. 19 against the Trail Blazers, just 11 days after the injury. Haliburton had been upgraded to questionable a day earlier, though he missed the Indiana's matchup with his former team in Sacramento.
An MRI initially revealed that Haliburton has a Grade 1 hamstring strain, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, who added that Indiana's point guard will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks. Based on injury data from athletic trainer and injury analyst Jeff Stotts, a low-grade strain results in an average of 13 days lost while an in-season Grade 2 strain results in around 30 days lost.
Haliburton's return in 11 days still beats the accelerated timeline, coming as a major boost to a contending Pacers team.
Here is the Pacers' upcoming schedule:
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| Jan. 19 | at Trail Blazers | 10 p.m. |
| Jan. 21 | at Suns | 8 p.m. |
| Jan. 23 | vs. Nuggets | 7 p.m. |
| Jan. 25 | vs. 76ers | 7 p.m. |
Tyrese Haliburton stats 2023-24
- 23.6 points per game
- 12.5 assists per game
- 4.2 rebounds per game
- 1.1 steals per game
- 2.5 turnovers per game
- 49.7 percent field goal shooting
- 40.3 percent 3-point shooting
- 86.8 percent free throw shooting
