So much can change in an instant. One minute, Tyrese Haliburton was leading the charge in Game 7 with the Pacers’ title hopes burning bright—and the next, silence swept the arena. Just as Indiana fans began to believe, their star point guard, Tyrese Haliburton, fell to the court, clutching what was soon confirmed as an Achilles injury. It wasn’t just a setback—it was a gut punch to every fan who watched their playoff dream unravel in real time.

Now, as the dust settles, more details about the moment have surfaced—and they only make it harder to stomach. The Pacers were trailing 18-16 when Haliburton, already playing through a nagging calf strain, took a pass and exploded toward the rim. But before he could make a move, he collapsed, pounding the hardwood in frustration and agony. He had already poured in nine points—including three buckets from deep—before being helped off, unable to put any weight on his leg.

Naturally, reactions poured in from all corners of the NBA community. Dwyane Wade, who’s never one to hide his emotions, shared on his Instagram story, “I CAN’T STAND INJURIES! I FEEL FOR MY GUY @TYRESEHALIBURTON.” Kevin Garnett echoed the heartbreak with a raw message: “Damnnnnn yooo.. Prayers to you my guy 💯🙏🏾@tyresehaliburton.” And Vince Carter, stunned like the rest of us, simply wrote on X: “Damn man smh 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽.”

Even longtime vet Eddie Johnson left speechless. “Devastating to see Haliburton go down in the biggest game of his life so far. Dammmm,” he posted on X. In another post, he wrote, “Great sportsmanship by the MVP.” It was a reminder that Tyrese was having a truly remarkable postseason.

After all, Haliburton was putting up MVP-caliber numbers—averaging 17.7 points, 9 assists, and 5.6 boards in the 2025 playoffs. Hopefully, this isn’t the last we’ve seen of that version of Tyrese. But for now, all eyes shift to the final.

Pacers ‘devastated’ by Tyrese Haliburton’s injury

Though the Game 7 heartbreak already stung, things hit rock bottom for Indiana fans the moment Tyrese Haliburton went down. As the Pacers fell 103-91 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, it wasn’t just the scoreboard that crushed them. Coach Rick Carlisle opened his postgame presser with a shoutout to OKC, but his emotions clearly shifted when addressing his star guard.

“What happened with Tyrese is,” Carlisle said, halting. “All of our hearts dropped. 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.”

Still, that “in time” remains a painful mystery. Will it be for opening night? Or maybe not until next year’s playoff grind? Carlisle didn’t drop any hints. And the locker room? It felt hollow without Haliburton. “It was a tough feeling to see your franchise guy go down like that,” said T.J. McConnell, “but to have to move on and kind of compartmentalize it is tough. Obviously, we missed him. We all are devastated for him and obviously support him.”

Meanwhile, Carlisle couldn’t help but reflect on Haliburton’s sensational postseason. “He authored one of the great individual playoff runs in the history of the NBA… Our hearts go out to him.” So now, it’s all about hope and healing—for a star who gave Indiana everything.