Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton is questionable for Friday night’s road game against the Utah Jazz.
On Wednesday, the 22-year-old suffered a left groin injury in the Pacers’ 137-114 blowout loss to the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.
According to a pair of NBA betting sites, the Pacers have the seventh-lowest odds to win the championship in 2023. Sportsbooks are giving the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards the best odds to qualify for the postseason.
Jalen Smith (facial contusion) is not on the Pacers’ injury report for Friday’s game at Utah.
However, Tyrese Halliburton is questionable with a left groin strain. (And Chris Duarte remains out.)
— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) December 2, 2022
It was Halliburton and Buddy Hield’s first game against the Kings in Sacramento. In the 2020 NBA draft, Halliburton was selected 12th overall by the Kings out of Iowa State.
In fact, Hield was selected sixth overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2016 out of Oklahoma. He was then traded to Sacramento in February 2017.
In 21 starts this season, Halliburton is averaging 19.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 11.2 assists and 1.8 steals. He is also shooting 46.9% from the field and 37.2% from downtown. Not to mention, the guard recorded 14 double-doubles.
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was downgraded to questionable against the Jazz on Friday
In Indiana’s loss to the Kings, Halliburton finished with nine points, four boards, 10 assists and two steals. He shot 4-of-13 (30.8%) from the floor and missed a shot beyond the arc.
“The Kings outplayed us tonight,” Halliburton said after the loss. “They’re a good team.” Sacramento outscored the Pacers 31-8 in fast break points. The Kings won 58-47.
“Tough game,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said in a postgame interview. “This game is on me. I had not prepared them for what was to come. The transition points really tell the story of the game. We were one step too slow.
Mike Conley and Rudy Gay both remain on the Jazz’s latest injury report ahead of Friday’s game against the Packers.
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) December 1, 2022
In addition, Hield finished with 17 points, four rebounds and one assist in 27 minutes. The recently turned 30-year-old is Sacramento’s all-time leader in three-pointers made with 1,248.
Other players on the Packers’ injury report include Daniel Thesis (knee), Chris Duarte (ankle). Theiss and Duarte remain indefinitely. Jalen Smith is no longer listed. He was ruled out of Wednesday night’s game with a facial problem.
As for the Jazz, Rudy Gay (hand) is definitely out. Additionally, both Mike Conley (knee) and Johnny Juzang (wrist) are ruled out against the Pacers.
Sportsbooks show Utah as a 4.5-point favorite at home. According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, the Jazz have a 67.3% chance of beating Indiana on Friday.
