Stephen A. Smith’s Take on Tyrese Haliburton’s Injury in Game 5 Collapse Sparks Outrage: “Stick to Playing Solitaire”

Tyrese Haliburton and his Indiana Pacers were hoping to swing momentum back towards them in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Stephen A. Smith’s Take on Tyrese Haliburton’s Injury in Game 5 Collapse Sparks Outrage: “Stick to Playing Solitaire”

Stephen A. Smith and Tyrese Haliburton (Image via FirstSportz)

Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers could not close out Game 4 the way they wanted. They led the game for much of the night, yet could not stop the Oklahoma City Thunder from dominating the closing stretch of the 4th quarter to flip the game on its head.

Some fans called out the officiating from Scott Foster and his crew, however, those were deemed to be excuses, considering the Pacers did not have an answer to OKC’s tactical change. Heading into Game 5, the momentum had switched hands, and the Thunder were in the driving seat.

Back at home, the Thunder jumped to an early lead and kept it that way. By half-time, their lead had ballooned to 14 points, and it seemed as if they were about to put the Pacers away. During the half, when the crew of ESPN’s halftime show were analyzing the game, Stephen A. Smith said this:

Haliburton has looked awful, and I’m glad he’s injured. I’m not saying I’m glad he’s injured, but I’m glad we got that as a rationale.

Stephen A. Smith said

The 57-year-old clarified that he was not hoping that Tyrese Haliburton was injured. Instead, he believed the injury explained why the Indiana Pacers’ point guard had such a terrible first half. He went 0-4 and turned the ball over, making it difficult for his team to mount any runs to reduce the deficit.

Fans tear into Stephen A. Smith for Tyrese Haliburton take

Even though Stephen A. Smith clarified that he was not wishing injury upon Tyrese Haliburton, fans were enraged at the mere suggestion of it. They believe Smith does not have the best intentions when he is talking about players whom he does not like.

Fans believe his recent beef with the Pacers point guard probably fuels these kinds of takes in real time. To them, it feels as if Smith’s subconscious guides him to say such things right out of the gate. He might correct them, but by then it is too late, as the damage is already done. Check out some of those fan reactions below.

Stephen A. Smith has always taken shots at athletes. Of late, fans believe the LeBron James confrontation, along with his Presidential aspirations, has started to make the New Yorker believe he is a major personality with a ton of power.

However, his recent Solitaire gaffe has fans believing the analyst might not be in the right frame of mind to make a conscious and informed take. Fans have been calling ESPN to send Smith off on vacation, so that he can use the time off to reflect on how he is handling his career.

Tyrese Haliburton had the worst NBA Finals game ever for a starting point guard

In his defense, Stephen A. Smith was trying to point out that Tyrese Haliburton’s injury could help save him from slander after he produced the worst performance of his playoffs. His 4 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists were downright embarrassing.

Tyrese Haliburton did not score a single field goal in Game 5
Tyrese Haliburton did not score a single field goal in Game 5 (Image via Barstool Gambling/X)

More importantly, when he sat on the bench, his substitute, TJ McConnell, pushed the Indiana Pacers to within two points of the West champions. Smith, the fans, and other analysts wondered why Rick Carlisle did not shut Haliburton down and continue with McConnell.

Ultimately, the Oklahoma City Thunder took advantage of this situation and went on to win Game 5 with a score of 120-109. The loss can be digested, but Haliburton’s no-show has become the worst performance by far by a starting point guard in recent NBA Finals history.

Also Read: