Pacers star 'unlikely' to play in Game 4 vs. Celtics

Haliburton's shiftiness, scoring and playmaking make him a tough matchup for the Celtics' perimeter defense. He opens up the floor for his teammates and is a big part of how the Pacers like to push the tempo and control the game. Without Haliburton in the rotation, a significant workload falls on Andrew Nembhard's shoulders. 

Nevertheless, the Pacers need to keep things in perspective. Nobody expected them to make the conference finals. It makes no sense to risk their star players' long-term health when they're already down by three games. Allowing Haliburton the time to continue recovering is what's best for the future of the team. After all, if he makes his injury worse, he may miss out on traveling with Team USA to the Paris Olympics. He will likely develop while in Paris due to the increased level of competition from his teammates.

Boston will be looking to close out its series with a sweep. However, if the Pacers can force a Game 5, Haliburton could potentially return to the rotation. Still, at this point, with the series all but lost, it may be better to shut him down for the remainder of the season and let him fully recover ahead of a busy summer.