How Tyrese Haliburton's Potential Absence Could Impact OKC Thunder in Game 6

It's no secret that Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton is a game-changing player for the Pacers and has been a reason for the Oklahoma City Thunder losing games so far. But, with the alarm sounding for a calf injury that could leave him out of Game 6, the Pacers could be without their most impactful player.

Even if Haliburton hasn't had his best stretch of games during this series, Haliburton was the reason the Pacers won Games 1 and 3, especially given his buzzer-beater in the first installment of the series.

Generally speaking, the entire Pacers offense runs through Haliburton, primarily as a facilitator. He's averaging only 17.9 points per game throughout the playoffs and 15 throughout the series, but he is averaging 7.2 assists. Haliburton is averaging 9.2 assists throughout the entire playoffs, so that number has slightly decreased during the NBA finals.

Even when Haliburton isn't on as a scorer, he brings to much to the table with his passing, spacing and defense that not having him on the court, especially for the biggest game of the series to date, will make a massive impact.

So, the hole that will be left in Indiana's roster is pretty blatant. They'll be missing their second-best scorer, best facilitator and one of their best defenders if Haliburton isn't available. It's a hole that won't be filled in only one game, making the timing of this the worst it could be.

Even if Haliburton does play, he won't be at 100 percent health. His calf visibly limited what he could do on offense in Game 5, evident in only scoring four points, while also having to sit on the bench for longer spurts and clearly showing signs of pain. Others will have to step up if he does play, even if Haliburton does manage to push through it.

His injury status shouldn't change anything about how the Thunder prepare for Game 6. They still need to be ready for what Indiana's point guard does, while also being ready for the likes of T.J. McConnell or possibly Obi Toppin to be inserted into the starting lineup. It would make the matchups slightly different, but these are players OKC has seen for multiple games already.

According to Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, Indiana is preparing to play without Haliburton for Game 6. Whether that's the case or not likely won't be released until gametime, but it's a possibility. The two teams tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, with the Thunder looking to win an NBA title.