Is Tyrese Haliburton playing? Pacers provide update on injured guard

INDIANAPOLIS -- Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton's strained left hamstring is making progress two weeks after his injury, coach Rick Carlisle said in his pregame press conference Wednesday. However, Carlisle also told reporters to "check back in 10 days" about his status, suggesting Haliburton will be out at least that long."He's progressing," Carlisle said. "The hamstring is doing better. Check back in in 10 days. I think that's reasonable." After missing all of last season with a torn right Achilles tendon, Haliburton played the first four games of this season and averaged 21.8 points and 9.5 assists per game. He said he felt "banged up" after the Pacers' game against the Bucks in Milwaukee on Oct. 26 -- the second night of a back-to-back -- and two days later the Pacers announced Haliburton had a mild strain. Carlisle said then to ask about it again in two weeks and on Wednesday he began with the update instead of waiting for a question. The Pacers were 2-2 in Haliburton's four games. In the seven games he's missed, they are 1-6 and sit at 3-8 overall heading into Wednesday night's game against the Wizards. They finished an all-time worst 19-63 with Haliburton out in 2025-26 after he led them to Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals when he suffered the injury in the first quarter of a loss to the Thunder. In the next 10 days the Pacers have five games -- Wednesday's vs. the Wizards, Friday's home game against the defending NBA champion Knicks, Sunday's road game at Philadelphia, their Nov. 18 home game against the Rockets and their Nov. 20 road game against the Cavaliers. Their road game against the Knicks on Nov. 22 is 11 days from now. In Haliburton's absence, the Pacers have been using Andrew Nembhard and Braden Smith as their starting backcourt and bringing T.J. McConnell and Quenton Jackson off the bench. McConnell has been on a minutes restriction since returning from a right hamstring strain. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Is Tyrese Haliburton playing? Pacers provide update on injured guard