INDIANAPOLIS — Pacers forward Jarace Walker has been ruled out of Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against the Thunder on Wednesday with a right ankle sprain, according to the NBA’s official injury report.
All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton is not on the injury report, though he walked with a bit of a limp after Game 2 and acknowledged he was working through a lower right leg issue. He said Tuesday in a news conference that he will be ready to play.
Walker sprained the ankle in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals and spent several days on crutches. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said days later that Walker would at least miss the first two games of the NBA Finals but would continue to undergo treatment to see if he could be available later in the series. It appears unlikely that he would be available in Game 4 on Friday, either.
Walker averaged 6.1 points and 3.1 rebounds off the bench this season. The No. 8 pick in the 2023 draft appeared in 75 games and averaged 15.8 minutes per game after averaging 10.3 minutes in just 33 appearances as a rookie. He has appeared in 12 of the Pacers’ 18 playoff games and averaged 9.8 minutes and 3.0 points per game in the postseason.