The Indiana Pacers have a vast, apparent void. That is the absence of Tyrese Haliburton due to an ACL injury sustained during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
As a result, he has missed the entire season while rehabbing. However, Haliburton recently offered insight into his recovery, giving Pacers fans a glimmer of hope, per Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic.
“There’s days where time feels like it’s flying by,” Haliburton said. “And there’s days where it feels like they can’t move any slower. I go through the ebbs and flows of it, but I feel really good. It’s been good for me to kind of be away a little bit, but I’m progressing really well. I’m really excited about my progress.
It was Haliburton who rose to the occasion for the Pacers that got them to the Finals. His 90.9% clutchness was unheard of and endeared him to Indiana fans. Though the Pacers lost to the OKC Thunder in the NBA Finals, Haliburton won so many hearts.
As his recovery continues, he said the organization is seeing progress.
“I think our whole organization is excited about my progress and sometimes when I’m on the court coaches will come out and watch me work out, or the guys from the front office will watch me work out. I think people are excited to see the progress that I’m making, and that excites me, because I’ve really attacked this really hard, and I’m not working this hard for no reason.”
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Tyrese Haliburton is taking the journey in stride.
Certainly, Haliburton's eventual return will plant the seed in fans' minds that an immediate return to the Finals is expected. However, Haliburton himself recognizes it doesn't work that way.
“I have to just understand — obviously ours is a little bit more dramatic — but there’ve been a lot of people who have lost in that (NBA Finals) stage and have had to work to get back there,” he said. “And sometimes you don’t get back there. That’s just the way it goes. I understand how hard I’m gonna have to work to get back there, and I plan on that.”
“So I’m excited about the journey that it’ll take to get back there, and I think that’ll make it feel even better. That’s what I think about more than anything.”
This season, the Pacers are 9-31 without Haliburton.