Like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Brunson or even OG Anunoby and Donovan Mitchell, Tyrese Haliburton finished the playoffs in the infirmary. A thigh injury resurfaced in Game 2 of the conference finals, and the All-Star point guard missed the final two games of the series against the Celtics.
“It’s really frustrating”admits Tyrese Haliburton. “Frankly, it’s a waste. You're working hard to achieve a goal and something happens that's beyond your control. This is obviously frustrating for me. But what I understood above all is that in general, in the playoffs, it is the team least affected that wins. It's a hell of a team. Boston is a great team. But it's obviously very frustrating for me, given the way I was playing at the time and seeing how we were playing collectively. »
Affected in the hamstrings of the left thigh, Tyrese Haliburton specifies that it is not the same injury as last January. “It’s completely new,” he assures. “It’s the same hamstring, but it’s just in a different location. It's really frustrating. Everyone who saw me play understood that I was never really 100% after the first scare. But I wanted to be on the field. I wanted to play. The 65-game rule obviously played a role, but I wanted to play. I wanted to play basketball. »
Ready for the Olympics
Before Game 3, Tyrese Haliburton called his agents to let them know that he was going to play despite the injury. But a meeting with managers, agents and medical staff put an end to his desires. For his own good. “They did their job: protecting me from myself, by not allowing me to play. I realized the impact it could have in the long term. I just thank the franchise for protecting me from myself. »
The injury was still serious since he was unavailable for several weeks. But that won't stop him from going to the Olympic Games since he is one of the 12 lucky ones elected to play in Paris.
“I have no worries. Basically, I have six weeks until training camp. I will be staying in Indy most of the time for my recovery. Six weeks is a very long time. I didn't have as much time during the season with my previous injury. I will be accompanied at all times by a member of the franchise's medical staff. Really, I have no worries. »
