The Indiana Pacers fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the winner-take-all Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals on June 22 in Oklahoma City.
In the process, the Pacers also lost their star guard Tyrese Haliburton.
During the first quarter of the Pacers’ 103-91 Game 7 loss to the Thunder, the former Iowa State basketball standout sustained what is now known confirmed to be a torn right Achilles tendon injury, according to USA TODAY’s Lorenzo Reyes.
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In 23 postseason games this season for the Pacers, Haliburton averaged 17.3 points, 8.6 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 46.3% from the field. He led the Pacers in scoring in six of their 23 games, with his postseason high being 32 points in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals vs. the New York Knicks.
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Haliburton was drafted No. 12 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, and then traded to the Pacers in 2022.
Here’s the latest updates on Haliburton’s injury:
Did Tyrese Haliburton tear his Achilles?
Yes, Haliburton sustained a torn right Achilles tendon injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder. The severity of Haliburton’s injury was first reported by ESPN’s NBA Insider Shams Charania and later confirmed by USA TODAY’s Lorenzo Reyes.
Due to the severity of his injury, Haliburton is likely to miss the entirety of Indiana’s upcoming 2025-26 season.
The news that Haliburton tore his Achilles confirms a report from ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters during the network’s broadcast on June 22. Salters, citing Haliburton’s dad John Haliburton, reported that the Team USA Olympic Gold Medalist sustained an Achilles injury.
“Mr. Haliburton confirmed that it is an Achilles injury,” sideline reporter Lisa Salters said on the ESPN broadcast. “He said Tyrese was doing as well as he can be under the circumstances. He says the entire family was back (in the locker room) with him, his mom, his dad, his brother.”
Tyrese Haliburton injury update
Haliburton sustained an apparent lower-body injury at the 5:02 mark of the first quarter of the Pacers’ Game 7 loss to the Thunder in the NBA Finals.
Following a play on the other end of the court, Haliburton fell to the ground after catching a pass from Pacers forward Obi Toppin and attempting to make a move with the ball past Thunder star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
In the process of trying to get around Gilgeous-Alexander, Haliburton fell on the court and seemed to be in immense pain. He was tended to by members of both the Pacers’ medical and coaching staffs before being helped back to the locker room. He was ruled out of the game shortly thereafter, and did not return to the bench.
“What happened with Tyrese, all of our hearts dropped. But he will be back,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said in a postgame news conference. “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.”
Following the Pacers’ 103-91 loss to the Thunder, ESPN cameras showed Haliburton embracing his teammates in the hallway outside of the Pacers’ locker room on crutches.
The former Cyclones standout’s injury in Game 7 vs. the Thunder wasn’t the first injury he sustained in the NBA Finals. In Game 5 of the best-of-seven series, Haliburton sustained a right calf injury and was listed as questionable for Game 6 but managed to play.
