Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles tendon in the NBA Finals Game 7 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, ending his stellar season and magical playoff run in heartbreaking fashion. The devastating injury sparked a widespread response throughout the league as stars offered their sympathies to the standout point guard, and league and finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joined the chorus after he defeated the Pacers in the decisive contest.
Gilgeous-Alexander went head-to-head with Haliburton throughout the series as the two faces of their respective teams. He lamented the injury and delivered kind words to his competitor, who collapsed to the floor midway through the first quarter on an attempted drive.
“It was sad,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on ESPN. “I couldn’t imagine playing in the biggest game of my life, playing for everything I’ve ever dreamed of, the highest stage, Game 7 in the NBA Finals and something unfortunate like that happens. It’s unfair. I feel bad for him. Pray for him. I’m wishing him the best of luck. He’s a hell of a player. His future is super bright. He can do whatever he wants with this league, and they’ll be a really good team for a really long time.”
Haliburton is likely to miss most, if not all, of the 2025-26 season as he recovers from the Achilles tear, which is among the most serious of the common injuries in the NBA. He is the latest star to fall victim to the ailment, and his exit from Game 7 was eerily familiar as Kevin Durant faced an almost identical situation six years ago, fighting through a calf injury only to tear his Achilles in the 2019 finals.
Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum also tore their Achilles tendons this postseason, with the Bucks star doing so in the first round and the Celtics star’s injury occurring in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
While he suffered a right calf strain in Game 5, Haliburton stayed in the lineup for each of the ensuing two contests. He said ahead of Game 6 that he “didn’t hear” of any risk of further injury.
Haliburton drilled four buzzer-beaters in the playoffs, one in each round, to either win or send games to overtime. His timely efforts highlighted a terrific campaign in which the two-time All-Star averaged 17.7 points and 9.0 assists per game.
“What happened with Tyrese is — all of our hearts dropped,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “But he will be back. I don’t have any medical information about what may or may not have happened, but he’ll be back in time. I believe he’ll make a full recovery. He authored one of the great individual playoff runs in the history of the NBA with dramatic play after dramatic play. It was something that no one has ever seen.”
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