When it rains, it pours for Tyrese Haliburton. Just hours after the Indiana Pacers fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, the star guard received devastating news: the injury he suffered early in Game 7 could sideline him for the entire 2025-2026 season.
Fans at Paycom Center held their breath as Haliburton collapsed late in the first quarter of Sunday’s game. The scene was gut-wrenching-Tyrese lay on the floor, pounding the hardwood in pain, while Pacers medical staff and teammates rushed to his side.
Moments later, he was helped off the court, unable to put weight on his right foot. Draped in a towel and supported by trainers, Haliburton disappeared down the tunnel-his future suddenly clouded in uncertainty. It didn’t take long for the worst fears to be confirmed.
What happened to Haliburton?
Hours after the game, ESPN insider Shams Charania reported the brutal news: Haliburton had torn his right Achilles tendon. The announcement hit Indiana even harder than the 103-91 loss that ended their championship run.
Head coach Rick Carlisle voiced what everyone was feeling: “What happened with Tyrese… just-all of our hearts dropped. But he will be back. He’ll be back in time. And I believe he’ll make a full recovery.”
Carlisle praised his star’s postseason performance, calling it “one of the greatest individual playoff runs in NBA history… just something no one has ever seen.” Still, there’s no official timeline for his return.
Will he miss the season?
Despite Carlisle’s hopeful outlook, multiple outlets report that Haliburton may miss the entire upcoming season. Recovery from a torn Achilles typically takes four to six months-plus additional time to regain NBA-level conditioning and rhythm.
It’s a tough blow for Haliburton and the Pacers. But as Carlisle said, his return could be the start of an even greater chapter-one that ends with him hoisting the trophy he came so close to grasping.
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