How quickly the NBA script can flip. Just three days ago, the basketball world was bracing for Tyrese Haliburton to potentially miss Game 6 altogether. A strained right calf, a concerning Game 5 limp, and a reputation for fading out when injuries pile up—yeah, let’s just say things looked gloomier than Ben Simmons’ jumper. But fast forward to Thursday night, and Haliburton was strutting around like he’d found the Gatorade of the gods, helping the Indiana Pacers demolish the Oklahoma City Thunder 108–91 to force a winner-take-all Game 7.

It wasn’t just that Haliburton played. It’s how he played. The man was spinning into no-look passes, draining step-back threes, and even had time to high-five some courtside fans mid-game like he was Magic Johnson in a Showtime documentary. In just 23 minutes, he racked up 14 points, 5 assists, and 3 threes. Not bad for a guy who, as recently as Monday, looked like he was dragging a cement block on his right leg.

But don’t take our word for it—Pacers coach Rick Carlisle made sure to shut down all the outside noise and remind everyone that the real drama was external. “Yeah, he’s super important to us, and I think the big thing was there just wasn’t a lot of drama,” Carlisle said postgame. “The drama was created, you know, in the press somewhat, because there was a lot of talk about it. It was not coming from him. He was straightforward; he didn’t want a lot of attention. He was doing everything possible to be able to play.”

Carlisle continued, “Fortunately, we were able to keep his minutes reasonable, because we had a great first half and a good start to the third quarter. One game — I mean, this is what it’s all about. This is what you dream about growing up. It’s a very difficult place to play, we know that. But, you know, the opportunity to play in a game like this is a great honor and a great privilege.”

And you know what? Carlisle’s right. It wasn’t Haliburton who fanned the flames. It was media folks panicking harder than a coach calling timeout with no timeouts left. Meanwhile, Tyrese quietly deleted all social media apps off his phone and only checked in to catch up on WWE storylines. That’s right—while fans were doomscrolling and fantasy managers were rearranging their lineups like they were plotting Game of Thrones betrayals, Haliburton was somewhere wondering if The Rock was coming back for one last WrestleMania run.

Tyrese Haliburton: The Calf-Strained Catalyst

Make no mistake—this was not some Willis Reed coming-out-of-the-tunnel emotional boost. This was a full-on impact game. Haliburton’s presence stabilized the Pacers, even if he wasn’t putting up a 30-piece. Early on, he missed four straight shots and looked shaky. But then something clicked. Suddenly, he was hitting from 30 feet, twisting in the air like a Cirque du Soleil act, and throwing dimes with his peripheral vision. At one point, he practically jump-started the Fast & Furious 12: Indiana Drift with a steal, a spin, and a behind-the-back pass to Siakam that ended in a dunk.

This is a guy who openly admitted, “If this was the regular season, I probably wouldn’t be playing.” And yet, he’s out here getting electronic stimulation, doing hyperbaric chamber sessions, getting taped up like a Halloween mummy, and probably walking around smelling like Tiger Balm and Icy Hot sandwiches. That’s commitment.

Postgame, Haliburton made sure to deliver the kind of veteran mentality that has surprisingly come from one of the league’s youngest leaders. “For the next two days, everybody’s going to be talking about how good we looked, how well we played, how much pressure is on OKC,” Haliburton said during his SportsCenter interview with Scott Van Pelt. “That’s going to be the narrative. We got to do a good job of staying away from that stuff. I think that can be poison.”

Let’s be real: that’s the kind of quote you’d expect from someone who’s spent a decade in the league, not a 25-year-old still in his first deep playoff run. But Haliburton has never been your average rising star. This is the same guy who beat the buzzer against Milwaukee, Cleveland, and New York—all in one postseason—and did it with the flair of a man who’s watched too many Reggie Miller highlight reels.

So yeah, the locker room directive from Coach Carlisle was clear: No distractions. No “we’ve got this.” No media narratives. Just Game 7. Just basketball. The Pacers aren’t acting like they just got hot. They’re acting like they belong here—and they’re right.

If you’re wondering just how badly the Thunder got steamrolled, consider this: Jalen Williams was a minus-40. That’s not a typo. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 21 points but turned the ball over eight times—his worst outing of the playoffs. Meanwhile, their 3-point shooting fell apart faster than Russell Westbrook’s Rockets tenure, going 8-for-30 as a team (26.7%).

Compare that to Indiana, who had seven players score at least 10 points and shot 15-of-42 from beyond the arc. Obi Toppin came off the bench like he was gunning for Sixth Man of the Year—4-of-7 from deep, 20 points, followed by TJ McConnell’s 12.

Tyrese Haliburton has become the heart of the Pacers, strained calf and all. He’s not trying to be a hero. He just wants to win. And honestly, he’s making believers out of everyone not wearing Thunder blue.

If you thought this Finals was over after Game 5, you weren’t alone. But like Haliburton himself said: “I want to be out there. That’s the plan.”

Turns out, that plan might just end with Indiana doing something special.

So set your reminders, cancel your Sunday dinner plans, and get ready. Tyrese Haliburton isn’t just playing Game 7—he’s owning the narrative again.