Pacers Guard Tyrese Haliburton Out at Least Two Weeks With Mild Left Hamstring Strain

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain and will likely miss at least two weeks, head coach Rick Carlisle said on Wednesday.

Carlisle said the strain is mild and that Haliburton is week to week. "It is mild, but it is a hamstring. We'll be cautious with it. It's not good news, but it could be worse," Carlisle said, according to the Indianapolis Star. On the timeline, Carlisle said: "I don't think it's realistic that he would play before then, but we'll go from there."

A hamstring specialist confirmed the diagnosis on Wednesday after Haliburton met with the specialist, Pacers doctors and team executives, the Indianapolis Star reported.

How the injury built up

Haliburton had been added to the injury report on Tuesday with left hamstring tightness and soreness. He was listed as questionable for Wednesday night's home game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

After Monday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Haliburton said he was a little beat up. He rode an exercise bike during breaks in that game, according to the Indianapolis Star.

Carlisle had spoken about the concern earlier on Wednesday. Speaking on 107.5 The Fan on Wednesday morning, in comments reported by NBC Sports, he said the team hoped the hamstring issue was not a big deal or a long term problem, and that they would know more later in the evening. The specialist visit later that day gave the team its answer.

A return interrupted

The injury comes in Haliburton's first games back after a long absence. He missed the entire 2025-26 season after tearing his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, NBC Sports reported. He had played the Pacers' first four games of this season on his return.

Through those four games, the 26 year old averaged 21.8 points, 9.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 33.0 minutes per game, according to Hoops Rumors, which carried the ESPN report by Shams Charania on the strain. The Pacers started the season 2-2.

For Indiana, the loss is a guard who had resumed running the offense at close to his earlier level, measured by the points and assists in the first four games. The team now has to cover his minutes and his playmaking for at least two weeks, with a week to week status that leaves the exact return date open.

The Pacers have not given a return date beyond Carlisle's guidance. The coach's words set the floor at about two weeks and the approach as caution, a stance that reflects both the mild grade of the strain and the fact that Haliburton is returning from a full season out with the Achilles injury.