Tyrese Haliburton had a rough first half during Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night, and there is an injury explanation for it.
Haliburton is dealing with calf tightness in his right leg, which is the same leg where he had soreness in his ankle last week. Haliburton had missed all four shots he attempted in the first half of Game 5 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. At halftime, ESPN’s Shams Charania shared the report about Haliburton’s calf tightness. Haliburton was shown walking to the locker room with something wrapped around his right calf.
Haliburton failed to resemble his usual self by such a great extent that ESPN host Stephen A. Smith said he was glad to hear the injury explanation.
Stephen A: "Haliburton has looked awful and I'm glad he's injured" pic.twitter.com/CIdTcYbtU5
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) June 17, 2025
Haliburton entered Game 5 averaging 17.8 points per game during the series. His stats and performance took a real turn in Game 5 as he hardly attempted any shots and failed to make a field goal through the first three quarters.
