Tyrese Haliburton went down with what looked like a potentially devastating injury Sunday just minutes into Game 7 against the Thunder. Haliburton looked to drive the ball but immediately crumpled to the ground in pain. The Pacers star needed help walking off the court.
It’s unclear at this point what Haliburton’s injury could be, but the initial fear is a potential Achilles tendon injury. The play looked similar to when Celtics star Jayson Tatum also suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, when Tatum also went down to the ground and couldn’t put any weight on his injured leg.
The Pacers are looking to become an unlikely NBA champion, but it looks like they’ll have to do it without their best player. The only silver lining is that Indiana has leaned on its depth heavily throughout this playoff run. But still, it’s an emotional injury to lose a leader like that in the middle of a Game 7 against a great Thunder squad.
If Haliburton’s injury is projected to be long-term, it’ll be a brutal blow for a Pacers team that was set to be a threat in the East going forward. But, for now, all eyes are on how the Pacers respond as they look for their first NBA title in franchise history.
