After a roaring start to the 2023-24 NBA regular season, Tuesday night was one of the lowest points of the year, with injury updates to Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies superstars Tyrese Haliburton and Ja Morant.
In the first half of Indiana's game against the Boston Celtics, Haliburton hit a slick spot on the court, causing him to do the splits. The star point guard was in extreme pain afterwards, forcing him to be carried off of the court.
Tyrese Haliburton being carried to the locker room after slipping on the floor. Hope he?s ok. ?
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 9, 2024
The Pacers ruled Haliburton out with a left hamstring strain, and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the rising star will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of his injury.
Pacers All-Star G Tyrese Haliburton will undergo an MRI on his left hamstring Tuesday, sources tell ESPN. He needed help leaving court earlier vs. Celtics after falling awkwardly on floor. Pacers won, 133-131.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 9, 2024
The injury couldn't come at a worse time for the Pacers, who have won seven of their last eight games and are fighting in the Eastern Conference standings for a spot in the top six to avoid the play-in tournament. Haliburton has led Indiana's charge, averaging a league-leading 12.5 assists per game while averaging an impressive 23.6 points per contest. The 23-year-old is currently leading all Eastern Conference guards in All-Star voting, with fans hoping that Haliburton can return in time to represent Indianapolis when the All-Star game comes to town.
While Indiana was dealing with Haliburton's absence against the Celtics, another massive piece of NBA news broke when The Athletic's Shams Charania tweeted that Morant would miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn labrum.
Grizzlies' Ja Morant will undergo season-ending surgery for a labrum tear in shoulder.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 9, 2024
Morant had just returned from his 25-game suspension, trying to force the Grizzlies back into the playoff race. Unfortunately, his return was short lived, playing in just nine games before suffering the shoulder injury. The former No. 2 pick was averaging 25.1 points and 8.1 assists per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the field.
With Morant out for the year and Haliburton potentially sidelined for a significant stretch, the NBA lost some serious firepower in a time where they will try to compete for ratings with the NFL playoffs.
