Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton shares updates on his hamstring soreness and Team USA Olympics status

Haliburton missed the final two games of the season

Mar 10, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic at KIA Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton missed the last two games of the playoffs with left hamstring soreness, and he discussed the injury for the first time since it occurred during his exit interview on Tuesday.

"It's been really frustrating. It's been trash, honestly. You work so hard to get somewhere and something happens that's kind of out of your control," Haliburton said. He had to sit and watch the final two games of Indiana's season from the bench after getting hurt in Game 2.

Haliburton left the game during the third quarter that night. The severity of the injury wasn't known at the time, but his 2023-24 campaign ended in Boston during the second half. Haliburton shared that the injury actually took place during the second quarter when he attacked Al Horford during an isolation. He got his leg wrapped at halftime.

"I could just tell that something was wrong," he said.

Haliburton limped to the team bus after the game, and he could barely walk the day after. But two days later, the swelling in his hamstring went down. He felt better and got an MRI that morning. He wanted to play in Game 3.

"I called my agents that morning like 'Hey, I feel good. I'm not going to lie to you guys, I don't care what you say I'm going to try to play'," Haliburton recalled. But an organizational meeting took place, and the decision was taken out of Haliburton's hands. He was held out of that battle, and Game 4, to protect his long-term health. "He very much wants to play. Desperately wants to play. But the decision on tonight was taken out of his hands earlier in the day," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. "It was determined that tonight was not an option."

Haliburton shared Tuesday that his new hamstring soreness is totally unrelated to the hamstring strain he dealt with in the same leg during the regular season. That kept him out for 10 games in total, and when Haliburton returned he had a stiff minutes limit. It changed his, and the Pacers, season.

"It's not a re-aggravation, it's a whole new thing," Haliburton said of his recent injury, which is in a different part of his hamstring.

Now with the season over, Haliburton can rehab and get better. He shared that he will be staying in Indianapolis in the coming weeks to heal ahead of his next basketball obligation, which is playing for Team USA in the Paris Olympics.

"No concern," Haliburton said of his availability for the Olympics. "The biggest thing is I've got six weeks until I have to report to camp," he added, noting that someone from Indiana's medical staff will be with him for his time with Team USA.

Haliburton finished the season averaging 20.1 points and 10.9 assists per game. He made the All-NBA Third Team as a result. In the playoffs, the star guard finished with averages of 18.7 points and 8.2 assists per game before his postseason was cut short.

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