Tyrese Haliburton's dad John Haliburton anguished after Pacers star goes down in brutal end to heroic NBA season

Tyrese Haliburton crumpled to the floor in the first quarter of Game 7 in the NBA Finals on Sunday. The Indiana Pacers star ruptured his right Achilles while attempting to drive past Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. After several minutes on the floor, Haliburton exited with help from teammates and the training staff.

As the point guard leaned heavily on teammate James Johnson, the camera caught the reaction of John Haliburton, Tyrese’s father.

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The devastated elder Haliburton could only cover his eyes as the video of the injury came on the big screen. Tyrese’s ankle popped just as he drove against the NBA MVP. The Pacers’ franchise cornerstone could be seen writhing in pain and repeatedly saying, “No!”

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The Achilles tear ended a heroic season for Tyrese Haliburton, who first injured his calf in Game 2. Haliburton re-aggravated the same injury in the first quarter of Game 5. Despite being barely able to walk, Haliburton told reporters that he would play. Following an MRI, the Pacers announced their floor general would play in Game 6 despite a calf strain.

Haliburton seemed hardly affected by the calf injury on Thursday. He led the Pacers to a 108-91 win in Indiana to force Game 7.

The Pacers trailed 18-16 when Tyrese Haliburton suffered the injury. He exited early with nine points and one turnover. Haliburton shot well, making 3 of 5 shots, including 3 of 4 from deep, before the season-ending play happened.

Fans react to John Haliburton’s devastated look following Tyrese Haliburton’s injury

The clip of John Haliburton reacting to Tyrese Haliburton’s injury went viral. Fans promptly reacted to his devastated look.

One fan said:

Another fan added:

One more fan continued:

"All wear #0"

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Another fan reacted:

The Haliburton family went to the Pacers’ locker room to attend to Tyrese. The elder Haliburton confirmed to Lisa Salters of ESPN that his son ruptured his right Achilles.

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Without the star point guard, the Indiana Pacers kept fighting. They held a 48-47 lead at halftime after Andrew Nembhard drained a 25-footer.

About the author

Michael Macasero brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his coverage of basketball at Sportskeeda with over 18 years of diverse work experience. This includes stints at Convergys, Interpace and RunRepeat.

Michael's background in English and Journalism has provided him with the analytical skills and precision necessary for creating content, and he is a lifelong fan of the Boston Celtics. His favorite players include legends like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, modern stars like Tim Duncan, and Nikola Jokic, as well as emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Michael respects Gregg Popovich, despite his contentious demeanor in interviews, and recognizes Popovich's genius in adapting his coaching style to maximize the talent on his roster over the years. Michael eagerly anticipates seeing how Popovich will structure the offense around emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Understanding the story and details is crucial to Michael's reporting philosophy and he believes overlooking details, particularly when pressed for time, can lead to misunderstandings and inaccurate conclusions.

Aside from work, Michael's children are his hobbies, and he also likes to go running, swimming and weightlifting.

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Edited by Michael Macasero