Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton out with strained left hamstring vs ...

INDIANAPOLIS – As expected, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton will miss Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals with the strained left hamstring that kept him out of the previous contest against the Boston Celtics, coach Rick Carlisle said Monday. Haliburton’s availability is in doubt should the Pacers win Game 4 and extend the series, a league source told The Athletic.

The Celtics lead this series, 3-0, and will advance to the NBA Finals with a win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Pacers’ star guard underwent an MRI on Saturday that showed a hamstring strain. Haliburton is improving, the team has said, but there is a fear of risking further injury at a time when the team faces the longest of odds.

There has never been a comeback from 3-0 in an NBA playoff series.

Haliburton, who suffered the injury at some point during Game 2 of this series, missed 10 games with a similar injury in January. He tried to return to the court after five games (about 10 days since he was first hurt), but was back on the sidelines for another five contests after returning for one game because of the strain.

With Haliburton out Saturday, Indiana received a career-high 32 points from Andrew Nembhard and 23 points from T.J. McConnell off the bench. The Pacers led by 18 points in the third quarter and by 8 with less than 3 minutes left but ultimately lost.

Haliburton, a third-team All-NBA selection this year, has averaged 18.7 points and 8.2 assists in the playoffs.

Required reading

(Photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)