Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton suffered a right leg injury early in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, which contributed to the team’s 106-91 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night at the Paycom Center.
NBC News reported that Haliburton received a pass during the first quarter and, while dribbling, collapsed to the floor after losing control of the ball. The 25-year-old appeared to be in pain before the team called a timeout. With help from his teammates, Haliburton was carried off the floor without putting any pressure on his right leg.
The Pacers confirmed in the second quarter that Haliburton would not return to the game after sustaining a “lower right leg injury.” His father, John Haliburton, later told ABC’s Lisa Salters that the 25-year-old had suffered an Achilles injury.
Haliburton started the game strong, shooting 3-of-4 from the three-point range. Despite dealing with a right calf strain in the past two games, he played through the pain to help the Pacers avoid elimination. After the Pacers’ 108-91 victory in Game 6, Haliburton expressed how much he valued being with his teammates and the special bond they had formed.
How does Haliburton’s injury affect the Pacers next season?
“I just look at it as I want to be out there to compete with my brothers. These are guys that I’m willing to go to war with, and we’ve had such a special year, and we have a special bond as a group, and you know, I think I’d beat myself up if I didn’t give it a chance,” NBC News reported Haliburton said.
Haliburton certainly left it all on the court throughout the series. Now, with reports of a torn Achilles tendon, he is likely to miss the entire 2025-2026 NBA season, according to CBS Sports. The Eastern Conference has seen several top NBA talent suffer from Achilles injuries, including New York Knicks player Jayson Tatum and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard.
ESPN reported that Pacers’ head coach Rick Carlisle and several teammates shared their thoughts after watching Haliburton go down with the Achilles injury.
“All of our hearts dropped,” Carlisle said.
“We all are devastated for him,” Pacers guard T.J. McConnell added.
“I was thinking about it the whole game,” Pacers forward Obi Toppin shared.
Several NBA stars, including LeBron James, along with athletes from other sports, took to social media to share their reactions to Haliburton’s injury.
FUCK!!!!!!!! 🤦🏾♂️🙏🏾
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 23, 2025
No way man….
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) June 23, 2025
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Never wanna see that😔
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) June 23, 2025
You never want to see that, prayers up 🙏🏽
— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) June 23, 2025