What happened to Tyrese Haliburton? Pacers' title hopes shaken as star player exits mid-game in Game 7

Tyrese Haliburton suffered an Achilles injury Sunday in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The Indiana Pacers star tried to drive past the OKC Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander but stumbled before falling to the floor. Haliburton writhed in pain as the Pacers' training staff rushed to help him following a dead ball.

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The play was reminiscent of Game 5, when Haliburton re-injured his calf in the first quarter. In that sequence, he tried to blow past Chet Holmgren before stuttering and hitting the floor. Haliburton shook off the pain and returned to finish the game.

Tyrese Haliburton played in Game 6 and helped his team to a 108-91 win. He did not return in Game 7 after exiting the floor in the first quarter. The Pacers were behind 18-16 when the star guard limped back to the locker room. Haliburton had nine points behind 3-for-5 shooting, including 3-for-4 from deep when he left the game.

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Before the first half ended, John Haliburton, the point guard's father, confirmed the Achilles injury.

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Indiana Pacers held a halftime lead following Tyrese Haliburton's injury

The Indiana Pacers roster surrounded Tyrese Haliburton as the team's training staff attended to him. Some of Haliburton's teammates repeatedly shook their heads in disbelief as their franchise player struggled to get up. Despite Haliburton's injury, the Pacers showed grit and resilience to keep up with the OKC Thunder.

The visitors relied on multiple contributors to stay within striking distance of the home team. Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, T.J. McConnell, Aaron Nesmith and Bennedict Mathurin gave the Pacers a lift.

Andrew Nembhard, taking over point guard duties from Haliburton, drained a 25-footer with 4.1 seconds left in the second quarter. Nembhard's basket pushed the Pacers to a 48-47 halftime lead.

The Indiana Pacers hope that the roster will step up to survive Game 7 without Haliburton.

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