"I’m glad he’s injured" - Stephen A Smith gives blunt justification for Tyrese Haliburton’s “awful” performance as Pacers star battles calf injury

Stephen A. Smith has weighed in on Tyrese Haliburton's first-half struggles in Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the OKC Thunder on Monday.

After NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Haliburton was dealing with right calf tightness, a possible explanation for his underwhelming first-half performance, Smith had a blunt response.

The veteran analyst called Haliburton’s first-half showing “awful,” but said he was "glad" there was a reason for the Paris Olympic gold medalist’s struggles.

"Haliburton has looked awful and I'm glad he's injured," Smith said. "I'm not saying I'm glad he's injured, but I'm glad we got that as a rationale."

Tyrese Haliburton had a rough outing in the first half of Game 5, struggling to find his rhythm on the offensive end. His scoring woes were evident and had a direct impact on the Pacers, who trailed by 14 points at halftime, with the Thunder leading 59-45.

Haliburton failed to score in the opening half, going 0-for-5 from the field, including 0-for-4 from 3-point range. In 16:54 minutes, he managed just one rebound, two assists and committed a turnover, an uncharacteristically quiet performance from the Pacers’ floor general.

What happened to Tyrese Haliburton?

Tyrese Haliburton was seen limping out of the press room after speaking to the media following the Indiana Pacers' Game 2 loss to the OKC Thunder, sparking concern within the franchise. It was later revealed that the star point guard was dealing with a right calf issue, raising alarms about his availability for the remainder of the series.

Fortunately for the Pacers, the injury wasn’t as serious as initially feared. Haliburton returned to practice ahead of Game 3 and went on to suit up for Indiana’s first home Finals game in 25 years. Despite the lingering discomfort, the Pacers' floor general has continued to play in every game of the series, showcasing his resilience and commitment.