It has been a bit of a fall from grace for the Indiana Pacers (13-10) since their momentous run in the NBA In-Season Tournament. They have lost three of their last four games, with their one victory coming over the abysmal Detroit Pistons. An injured Tyrese Haliburton is the last thing this struggling squad needs.

The All-Star point guard suffered a knee injury in the third quarter of the Pacers' 137-123 loss to the Washington Wizards on Friday. Haliburton exited and did not return. As expected, he will be unable to give it a go on Saturday versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, per RotoWorld Basketball.

It is perfectly reasonable to sit out the 23-year-old on the second game of a back-to-back, especially following an injury. Hopefully, this proves to be more cautionary than anything else, as Indiana simply cannot survive without the maestro of the NBA's highest-scoring offense (128.2 points per game). Last year showed as much.

The Pacers got off to a solid start in the 2022-23 season before Haliburton missed a chunk of time with multiple injuries. They finished 35-47, short of the playoffs. Despite being led by the savvy Rick Carlisle and boasting a fairly deep rotation, defense is a glaring issue for this team. Without Tyrese Haliburton and his 25.7 points and NBA-leading 12.0 assists per game to make up the difference on offense, Indiana could be in for a long night against the 18-5 Timberwolves.

Fans will accept a possible beatdown in the Target Center, however, if Haliburton is available going forward. For the first time since 2019-20, there are legitimate expectations for the Pacers. Hopefully, they stay intact for the rest of the season. Tip-off for Saturday's game is set for 8 p.m. ET.