Pacers' Haliburton (hamstring) out for Game 3

Tyrese Haliburton missed the Indiana Pacers‘ Game 3 loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday night because of a hamstring strain and his availability for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday is in serious question, sources told ESPN.

The Pacers and Haliburton will reassess the strain ahead of Game 4 before making a final decision on his ability to play, sources said. The Pacers intend to err on the side of caution with their franchise star’s injury.

“Tyrese very much wants to play,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said before Game 3 in Indianapolis. “He desperately wants to play. But the decision on tonight was taken out of his hands earlier in the day. It was determined that tonight was not an option. He is feeling better; we’ll see where he is on Monday.”

Indiana fought valiantly in Saturday night’s 114-111 loss but Boston erased an 18-point deficit to take the lead in the final minute and put the game away. The win gives the Celtics a commanding 3-0 series lead heading into Game 4.

Haliburton — who missed 10 games in January with the same injury — aggravated the hamstring in Thursday’s Game 2 loss to the Celtics in Boston.

Haliburton averaged 20.1 points and a league-leading 10.9 assists in a regular season that earned him third-team All-NBA honors. The Pacers are plus-59 with Haliburton on the floor this season and minus-35 without him, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Meanwhile, Celtics guard Jrue Holiday was cleared to play about 45 minutes before tipoff after being downgraded to questionable with a non-COVID illness earlier Saturday. Backup big man Luke Kornet was ruled out with a wrist injury. Kristaps Porzingis (calf) remains out.