The Indiana Pacers were devastated on Sunday night when they lost Tyrese Haliburton after just seven minutes in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Haliburton was on a roll when he went down with a traumatic injury, and the Pacers were left shocked.
They ended up losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder, partly because they weren’t able to fill the void left by Haliburton.
Following the game, Obi Toppin spoke with the media about how it felt to lose Haliburton.
“We needed [Tyrese Haliburton] out there. He’s been so good for us all year. For him to go down beginning a game like that—it sucked the soul out of us. I ain’t going to say out of everybody. But I don’t feel like I played good because I was thinking about it the whole day and I felt like it was my fault,” Toppin said.
#Pacers forward Obi Toppin on Tyrese Haliburton's injury:
"We needed Ty out there… It sucked the soul out of us. I ain't going to say out of everybody. But I don't feel like I played good because I was thinking about it the whole day and I felt like it was my fault." pic.twitter.com/yvlMzL0bMy
— WISH-TV News (@WISHNews8) June 23, 2025
In his seven minutes, Haliburton posted nine points, knocking down three three-pointers.
He was in great spirits with strong energy and was obviously trying to prove a lot to the Thunder.
It appears as if he suffered an Achilles injury, which means the Pacers might not be seeing him for some time.
All of next season could be lost for Haliburton, and Indiana will clearly miss him.
They will be able to rely on other players and attempt to build an identity without him, but that will be tricky.
Haliburton does so much more than simply score points and make assists.
He has become one of the most important parts of the team’s chemistry and culture and will be sorely missed.
In the blink of an eye, Indiana’s chances of winning a championship were ripped away from them, and it caught everyone off guard.
Toppin admitted that it affected him greatly, and he is hoping his friend and teammate is back as soon as possible.
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