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Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton endured a devastating Achilles injury during Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
With the dust generated from the NBA Finals settling, one of the more dire theories around Game 7 has received some form of confirmation.
Per Shams Charania of ESPN, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton endured a torn right Achilles tendon in the opening period of Sunday’s finale. It was a heartbreaking finale to an otherwise thrilling playoff run for Haliburton and the Pacers, who reached their first NBA Finals in a quarter-century.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said that Haliburton was there to greet his teammates in the locker room at halftime, and ABC cameras caught him congratulating each of them as they returned to the visitors’ side after a 103-91 defeat.
“He was in the locker room, and he was very much a part of a group that believed that they could do this,” Carlisle said in the aftermath, per transcripts from the league. “I told these guys coming into this that there’s no feel-good scenario when you get to the Finals and are unable to get it done. It really hurts on the one hand. On the other hand, this team has given all of Pacer Nation something to be very proud of.”
Charania’s report states the injury is severe enough to “put his status for the 2025-26 season in jeopardy.”
Haliburton had previously been diagnosed with a calf strain after Game 5 but opted to play in the winner-take-all closer. Indiana’s one-sided victory in Game 6 in Indianapolis limited him to 23 minutes. Though Haliburton was limited to averages of 14 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.6 rebounds, he led all Finals participants with 41 assists over the seven games.
Time will tell how the Pacers approach this offseason knowing that Haliburton could miss extended action. Starter Myles Turner is their most notable free agent with fellow centers Tony Bradley and Thomas Bryant also potentially hitting the market.
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Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
