At Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals hosted in Oklahoma City, the series was poised to end even 2-2. Indiana Pacers stood no chance against Oklahoma City Thunder and this pivotal match pitted Indiana against them, yet ultimately Oklahoma City secured a 120-109 win and took an unexpected 3-2 advantage in Finals play despite their best effort at remaining competitive against them despite Tyrese Haliburton missing six field goal attempts for an upset victory against them 3-2 victory courtesy of Tyrese Haliburton not making one single field goal attempt from his Indiana teammates during his six attempts! A major talking point from this match up against Oklahoma City was Tyrese Haliburton who failed miserably; making none of his six field goal attempts was also an apparent talking point from both teams regarding Tyrese Haliburton failing miserly failing miserly performing, becoming disenthusially inferior; his performance caused disenthusal for Indiana when she had her teammate Tyre Haliburton failing miserly make five field goals out of six! a game win by 3 wins out of 6.
Haliburton Faces Criticism After Game 5 Performance
The game was especially tough for Tyrese Haliburton, an All-NBA point guard known for his dynamic play. Dealing with a calf injury, Haliburton managed to score only four points, all from free throws, alongside recording seven rebounds and six assists. His struggles from both the field (0-6) and three-point range (0-4) stood out in a match tagged as the biggest of his career. This performance led to a wave of criticism, with some questioning his effectiveness under pressure.
Injury Concerns for Haliburton
Concerns were initially raised when Haliburton could be seen tending to his leg early in the game, suggesting calf troubles which continued throughout. Yet despite these setbacks he played 34 minutes (second most on team), which showed both determination and significance to the Pacers. Now with Game 5 lost and Haliburton facing possible recovery and performance challenges in Game 6, focus shifts heavily onto him for recovery and performance in upcoming Game 6.
The Pacers’ Path Forward
As Indiana faces imminent defeat in Game 6, all eyes will turn toward Tyrese Haliburton for inspiration and crucial performance at critical junctures of a series. His ability to facilitate and score has been an essential element of their postseason success; they now hope his efforts pay dividends as Indiana extends it all the way into an important Game 7. Indiana hopes for an inspiring turnaround from their point guard; his abilities as both facilitator and scorer have been key components to its triumphant journey this postseason.