The Indiana Pacers' worst fears were realized a day after they lost out on an NBA championship.
Star guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in the Pacers' Game 7 defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder Sunday night, the team confirmed. Haliburton is set to undergo surgery in New York on Monday.
"Additional updates on Haliburton’s status will be provided as appropriate," the Pacers said.
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SIGN UP HERE Haliburton had suffered a calf injury in Game 5 of the NBA Finals but played in the Pacers' Game 6 win in Indiana on Thursday. He opened Game 7 with nine points on three 3-pointers in the first seven minutes before falling to the floor with a leg injury. He was helped off the court and later ruled out for the rest of the decisive Game 7, which the Thunder went on to win 103-91.
The Pacers initially ruled it a "right lower leg injury," but the diagnosis of a torn Achilles was the expected result.
Haliburton is one of several NBA stars to suffer a torn Achilles in the 2025 playoffs. Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum sustained one in the second round against the New York Knicks, while Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard sustained one in the first round against the Pacers.
It can take more than a full year for a player to recover from a torn Achilles, putting Haliburton's status for the 2025-26 season in jeopardy.
Haliburton's injury drew immediate comparisons to Kevin Durant, who tore his Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors after dealing with a calf injury of his own. Durant missed the entire 2019-20 NBA season and returned to the floor to start the 2020-21 campaign with the Brooklyn Nets, ultimately waiting 18 months between games.