, the second game of the NBA Finals ended at the Thunder's home court. The Indiana Pacers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 107-123, and the total score was tied at 1-1. What's more worrying is that the team's core player Tyrese Haliburton was obviously limping when he left the court after the game, and he was suspected to be injured, so his status for the third game became confusing.

According to multiple media reports, Haliburton had an unsteady gait as he walked toward the press conference after the game. Thunder reporter Joel Lorenzi was the first to point out that Haliburton staggered as he left the locker room and headed for the press conference, and his right leg looked particularly laborious. Pacers reporter Tony East also confirmed this, saying that Haliburton was slow to move when he went on stage for an interview, and it was obvious that he was gritting his teeth to persevere. ESPN reporter Collier 's observations also showed that Haliburton was indeed injured, and the injury might be more serious than expected.

From the performance, Haliburton played for 34 minutes and 15 seconds, made 7 of 13 shots , including 3 of 8 three-pointers , and did not get any free throws. He finally contributed 17 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. However, he also made as many as 5 turnovers, tying his personal record for turnovers in the playoffs. Of these 17 points, 12 were scored in the fourth quarter, when the Pacers were already far behind and the game basically lost suspense.

In the first three quarters, the Thunder sent out defensive expert Luguentz Dort to restrict Haliburton intensively, and the effect was remarkable. Haliburton only scored 5 points with 2 of 7 shots in these three quarters, sent out 4 assists but also accompanied by 3 turnovers. The overall performance was far below his normal level. All-Star player Jaylen Williams also said in an interview after the game, " Dort's defense is the key to Haliburton's struggle. "

Of course, such defense is not the work of one person. The Thunder team showed a very high defensive efficiency. Alex Caruso , Carson Wallace and inside general Chet Holmgren all effectively pressured Haliburton at different stages, making it difficult for him to control the rhythm and creativity.

The total score is now 1-1 , and the series has entered a white-hot stage. The Pacers have two home-court advantages in the next three games. But if Haliburton's injury is serious and he cannot play to his full potential in G3 , the Pacers will undoubtedly be in great trouble. They need not only to adjust their tactics, but also to pray that their core players can recover quickly.

As the series becomes more intense, the fate of the Pacers will most likely depend on Haliburton's physical condition. Whether he can play with an injury in Game 3 or dominate will be a key node that affects the trend of the finals.