Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton suffered an injury during Monday’s NBA matchup against the Boston Celtics, leading to his early exit. Haliburton, who slipped and fell while driving down the lane, will have an MRI on his left hamstring on Tuesday.

Despite his absence, the Pacers secured a narrow 133-131 victory over the Celtics, sealed by Bennedict Mathurin’s clutch free throws in the final second. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle expressed confidence in the team’s resilience, noting improvements since last season when Haliburton missed 10 games, and the Pacers struggled with a 1-9 record.

“We’ve had another year of experience. We’ve added depth,” Carlisle said. “You saw it out there in the second half. We’ve been a together group. We’ve got to stay together. We’ve had a strong collective determination with each game.”

NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers Updates

The Pacers, facing a home game against the Washington Wizards followed by a six-game road trip, encountered the setback with Haliburton’s injury when they were trailing 60-54. Haliburton’s right leg slipped forward, causing him to do a split. Teammates James Johnson and Buddy Hield assisted him off the court while others provided emotional support.

Haliburton has averaged 24.2 points while leading the NBA with 12.7 assists per game. He also came in first in fan votes among Eastern Conference guards for the upcoming All-Star Game in Indianapolis. Before his injury, he had recorded seven points and six assists.

NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers Updates

Aaron Nesmith believes the Pacers are better equipped to handle Haliburton’s potential absence this time.

“I think we have a better mentality moving forward than we had last year. We have a really good next-man-up mentality because we’re so deep,” Nesmith said. “I think we’ll be all right.”

Mathurin, who scored 26 points in the game, acknowledged the impact of Haliburton’s injury.

“We lost the best player on the team, so it’s my job to step up,” Mathurin said,