Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was injured in the first quarter of Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night. (Nate Billings/AP)
OKLAHOMA CITY — A nerve-racking Game 7 of the NBA Finals took a somber turn in the first quarter Sunday night when Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton had to be helped to the locker room with a right lower-leg injury.
Haliburton, who had sparked the Pacers to a blowout victory in Game 6 while playing through a right calf strain, crashed to the floor after his right leg appeared to give out midway through the opening period. The two-time all-star pounded the court in pain and was attended to by Pacers staff at the next dead ball.
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander checks on Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton who was pounding the court in pain after falling.
- Haliburton had to be helped to bench and put no weight on right leg pic.twitter.com/4BkVcZeZHT
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) June 23, 2025
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Haliburton’s teammates checked on him as he remained on the court, and he was eventually helped to the locker room. Haliburton put no weight on his right leg as he left the court.
In the second quarter, the Pacers announced Haliburton would not return to the game.
Haliburton has been Indiana’s offensive engine and late-game closer throughout its never-say-die postseason run. The fifth-year point guard has hit four game-winning or game-tying shots in the closing seconds of playoff games this year to lead Indiana to its first NBA Finals appearance since 2000.
Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle said Sunday that his staff would carefully monitor Haliburton during Game 7 because of his calf strain.
“We’re going to be watching very closely,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of eye contact. There’s going to be a lot of communication. We’ll do whatever is best for him and for the team.”
Haliburton said Saturday that he was “a little sore” but had every intention of playing in the series finale.
“I’m pretty much in the same standpoint I was before Game 6,” he said. “Good thing I only had to play like 23 minutes [in Game 6]. I’ve been able to get even more treatment and do more things. Just trying to take care of it the best I can. But I’ll be ready to go for Game 7.”
This is a breaking story and will be updated.