The Indiana Pacers will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. This marks Indiana’s return to the Finals stage for the first time since the year 2000, and their journey has been driven largely by the outstanding performances of Tyrese Haliburton.
Both teams have issued their official injury reports. For the Pacers, Jarace Walker will miss the game due to a right ankle sprain, while Isaiah Jackson is also out with a torn right Achilles. Additionally, Tony Bradley is listed as questionable because of a left hip flexor strain. In contrast, the Thunder have just Nikola Topic unavailable.
Jarace Walker (right ankle sprain) and Isaiah Jackson (right Achilles tear) are out for Game 1 of Pacers-Thunder. Tony Bradley (left hip flexor strain) is questionable.
— Tony East (@TonyREast) June 4, 2025
Nikola Topic is the only Thunder absence.
That means Tyrese Haliburton is off the injury report. That means the Pacers’ leader is expected to be on the court for Thursday’s clash. He is ready to guide his team through their biggest challenge yet.
Haliburton’s contributions in this year’s playoffs have been elite. The two-time All-Star has led the Pacers through a tough Eastern Conference bracket, with victories over the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks. In the conference finals specifically, Haliburton averaged 21.0 points and 10.5 assists per game.
LeBron James Praises Tyrese Haliburton’s Impact
On the latest episode of his Mind the Game podcast, LeBron James offered high praise for Haliburton. James shared a deep respect for both Haliburton’s leadership and the way the Pacers roster has come together around him.
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“Hali is one of those ones. The success is not happening just because it just came out of the blue. It’s happening because of Hali and that team. They’re built perfectly for that group,” James said.
Though Haliburton missed the Conference Finals MVP trophy, the Pacers star is expected to give his all again in the final stage. Now, he stands just four wins away from securing his first NBA championship.
