Two-time Indianapolis Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton is unquestionably one of the best point guards in the NBA today. He’s arguably the biggest reason why the Pacers are making their first NBA Finals appearance since the year 2000.
Today, Haliburton was set to play in the biggest game of his basketball career, a Game 7 NBA Finals matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is where heroes become legends.
However, Haliburton’s quest to lead the Pacers to victory ended early, after just seven minutes of play, after the two-time All-NBA selection suffered a leg injury and collapsed to the floor. After a chance to evaluate his condition, team doctors revealed to Haliburton’s dad that Tyrese is dealing with an Achilles injury. He will not return to the game.
Tyrese Haliburton's dad, John, tells @saltersl that his son has an Achilles injury and is watching the game from the locker room in good spirits. pic.twitter.com/hmP206jamK
— ESPN (@espn) June 23, 2025
While Haliburton’s absence is a huge loss for the Pacers, backup point guard T.J. McConnell is getting a bigger chance to show what he’s capable of in front of millions of spectators. Even without their floor general, the Pacers still managed to enter halftime with a 48-47 lead over the Thunder.
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Sports fan since birth. I am also passionate about cars, music, and anything funny. Minnesotan, born and raised. Maybe ... More about Andrew Buller-Russ