Tyrese Haliburton and Jade Jones (Image Source: Getty Images, X/IG Jade Jones)
The Indiana Pacers came close to beating the Boston Celtics in their Eastern Conference Finals series-opening game if not for the 5-point lead in overtime.
However, they had high hopes in Game 2, which were crushed following their star Tyrese Haliburton’s injury.
Though the guard left the court, his FaceTime moment with his girlfriend caught the eyes of an attendee, who captured it, and the video went viral.
After shocking the NBA community with his massive contract, the former Iowa guard had them talking about his action on Thursday night.
When the 24-year-old slipped awkwardly and picked up a hamstring injury in his 28-minute appearance on the hardwood, he went to the locker room to get checked but did not return to the court.
As the game went on, a courtside fan observed Haliburton’s girlfriend, Jade Jones, talking to the man himself on Facetime and, without wasting time, quickly captured the video.
Jones was spotted placing the speaker to her ear so that she could hear what the 2-time All-Star was saying.
During the game, when most players, even if injured, usually prefer to watch their teammates playing against the opponents, Haliburton calls his girlfriend instead. As the video went viral on X (formerly known as Twitter), the fans started pouring in their comments.
An astonished fan commented, “No way.”
Another fan commented, “Think NBA media will talk about this more or how Tatum had a bad night but still put up 23?”
While someone wrote, “Dude is not locked in. Kobe looking down at this just shaking his head. Celtics in 4.”
Another fan commented, “Yall are gross”.
“That’s his gf who cares”, wrote an X user.
Pacers Deal Double Blow After Tyrese Haliburton Leaves Due to Injury
Tyrese Haliburton shouldered the Pacers’ playmaking responsibilities, but after he left with a 10-4-8 stat line, the Indiana franchise faced another blow, a dominant 126-110 defeat.
The Pacers were determined to tie the series in Game 2, but they fell short in front of the Celtics’ strong offense, especially Jaylen Brown’s 40 points.
The game started with the Pacers in the lead by a narrow margin (2 points), but the Cs turned the tables in the following quarters by dropping 30+ points each and increasing the deficit to 16 points.
Though the Celtics have taken a 2-0 lead on their home court, the series still has 5 more games, which is enough for the Pacers to redeem themselves.
Their next meet-up will be at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday, but Haliburton’s inclusion in the game is uncertain.