Indiana Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton na-diagnose ng shingles at mawawala sa koponan ng ilang linggo. Ang kondisyon na ito ay nagdadagdag sa mahirap na 2025-26 season ng koponan, kasunod ng season-ending Achilles injury niya. Coach Rick Carlisle ay naglalarawan ng sitwasyon bilang natatangi ngunit nagpahayag ng kumpiyansa sa recovery ni Haliburton.
Ang Indiana Pacers' mahirap na 2025-26 season ay nagkaroon ng isa pang balikwas sa diagnosis ng shingles sa kanilang sidelined superstar na si Tyrese Haliburton. Na-rule out na para sa taon dahil sa torn right Achilles tendon na natamo sa Game 7 ng 2025 NBA Finals laban sa Oklahoma City Thunder, si Haliburton ngayon ay nahaharap sa viral infection na nagdudulot ng painful rash at nagmumula sa chickenpox virus. Siya ay nahuli sa unang quarter midway matapos na mag-hit ng three 3-pointers early on. Ang struggles ng Pacers this season ay nagmumula mainly sa injury crisis, with 25 players appearing sa hindi bababa sa isang laro at ang kanilang most-used lineup logging just 96 minutes together. Notable absences include T.J. McConnell (hamstring, 10 games), Andrew Nembhard (shoulder, 7 games), Bennedict Mathurin (foot and thumb, 22 games pre-trade), Obi Toppin (foot, 55 games), Aaron Nesmith (knee, 19 games), Isaiah Jackson (concussion, 13 games pre-trade), Johnny Furphy (ankle and ACL, season-ending), at Ivica Zubac (ankle, 6 games since trade). Pacers coach Rick Carlisle ay nag-address ng matter pagkatapos ng team's 134-130 loss sa Dallas Mavericks noong Linggo, dropping their record sa 15-43, ang second-worst sa league. 'It's a very painful thing,' sabi ni Carlisle. 'He will make a full recovery, but this happened over the last few days. He was meeting us in D.C. and had some odd symptoms and he came back here. That's what's happening with him. We certainly wish him a speedy recovery. It's a unique case and a unique situation, but I talked to him a few times and he's always in a good mood, so he'll get through it.' Only Jay Huff has played sa every game, with Jarace Walker and Pascal Siakam missing fewer than 10 each. The team's 2026 first-round pick, reacquired sa June 2025 trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, was later included sa deadline deal sending Mathurin, Jackson, and picks sa Los Angeles Clippers for Zubac and Kobe Brown. That pick is protected 1-4 and 10-30, meaning the Pacers risk losing it if it falls between 5-9. Currently three games ahead ng Sacramento Kings for the league's worst record, the Pacers hold a 52.1% chance of a top-four pick if they secure one of the three worst records.
