Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton has sustained a torn Achilles tendon in his right leg after undergoing an MRI test, Afrosport reports.
The NBA Finals ended in horrible fashion for the Pacers and Haliburton, who was forced off in their Game 7 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night.
The 25-year-old, originally battling with a calf strain in the same leg, exited the court with 4:55 remaining in the first quarter as Indiana fell 103-91 to the Thunder, who claimed their first NBA title.
Breaking: Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton sustained a torn right Achilles tendon in Game 7 against Oklahoma City, sources tell ESPN. Haliburton played through a calf strain in the same leg during the NBA Finals for an opportunity to win a championship. pic.twitter.com/7pr3z2Lubq
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2025
Haliburton suffered the injury while attempting to drive to the basket. He fell on the ground, slapping the court with tears in his eyes, wriggling in pain before he was surrounded by some teammates.
“What happened with Tyrese, all of our hearts dropped,” said Indiana coach Rick Carlisle after the game. “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, and I believe he’ll make a full recovery.”
The Olympic gold medallist, who was pictured using crutches and a wheelchair after the game, will undergo surgery in New York to fix the injury.
The Pacers have yet to announce a timeline for his return, but Haliburton is expected to miss the 2025-26 NBA season.
Having provided multiple memorable performances and orchestrated a historic run during this playoffs, he entered Sunday’s game averaging 17.7 points and a playoff-leading 9.0 assists on 46% shooting.
He scored nine points in seven minutes against OKC in Game 7 at Paycom Center and his 197 assists were a franchise record for a single postseason.
