The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers after a hard fought battle, with the Pacers taking them all the way to a Game 7. The Pacers played phenomenal basketball up until the very end, but it just wasn’t enough to get them past the Thunder. Their Cinderella run in the NBA Finals was ultimately marred by an injury to Tyrese Haliburton which started all the way in Game 2. Despite the pain, Haliburton did not sit out any of the games, but in Game 5, he was limping on the floor at times which raised a lot of concerns for Indiana. When asked for his availability in Game 6, Haliburton told the reporters that he was not going to sit out the game which he dreamt of playing in. In Game 6, the Pacers dominated the Thunder, and Haliburton finished the game with 14 points while only playing for 23 minutes.
Prior to Game 7, according to various reports, Tyrese Haliburton’s calf strain was an injury that was supposed to keep him out for at least a week or two. However, the stakes are the highest in Game 7s and there was no way Haliburton was going to sit out for the game. During Game 7, Haliburton got off to an incredible start, knocking down 3 out of 4 three point attempts. But, a non-contact injury occurred as he attempted to dribble past Shai, collapsing in pain and pounding on the floor. He was ruled out for the rest of the game in the second quarter, confirmed by his father to ESPN’s Lisa Salters, to have an Achilles injury, later reported as a torn Achilles tendon by Shams Charania on X.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just had one of the most complete and dominating seasons we’ve seen in the past decade. He led the Thunder to a 68-14 record, cruising past the Western Conference for the entire season, helped the Thunder sweep Ja Morant and the Grizzlies, beat arguably the best player in the world in the second round, dominated the Timberwolves and Anthony Edwards, and now just picked up his first Larry O’Brien trophy to end the season. He averaged a monstrous 34.2 points in the NBA Finals, in seven games, and despite the Pacers’ best efforts to stop him, SGA is nearly impossible to guard in today’s game.
Gilgeous-Alexander picked up his first MVP trophy, Finals MVP trophy, Larry O’Brien trophy, scoring title, Western Conference MVP, and led the Thunder to the best record across both conferences all in the same season. However, despite all of his achievements, SGA showed Haliburton a lot of love after he went down with an Achilles injury in the first quarter of Game 7. “I feel bad for him. Pray for him. Wish him the best of luck. He’s a hell of a player. His future’s super bright. He can do whatever he wants with this league and they will be a really good team for a really long time.”
Now that Tyrese Haliburton’s injury is confirmed by Shams Charania to be an Achilles tear, the Pacers will have to gear up for next season to play without Haliburton, for most likely the entire season. Haliburton, is out eyes, had some of the most dominating seasons since 2018 LeBron James, who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers at that time. Hali is the clutch shot maker, the playmaker, and the heart and soul for the Indiana Pacers.
The Eastern Conference teams have already had multiple players down with Achilles tear this season, including Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, and now Tyrese Haliburton. Teams like the Knicks, the 76ers, Orlando Magic, and even the Detroit Pistons will have the best opportunity next season, to at least make it to the NBA Finals, but talking about the Pacers, they will need to get a quality backup point guard in the offseason, and there are multiple players that could be on the move.
nfl
Washington Wizards 
Charlotte Hornets 
Philadelphia 76ers 
Brooklyn Nets 
Toronto Raptors 
Miami Heat 
Chicago Bulls 
Atlanta Hawks 
Orlando Magic 
Detroit Pistons 
Milwaukee Bucks 
Indiana Pacers 
New York Knicks 
Boston Celtics 
Cleveland Cavaliers 
Utah Jazz 
New Orleans Pelicans 
San Antonio Spurs 
Portland Trail Blazers 
Phoenix Suns 
Dallas Mavericks 
Sacramento Kings 
Memphis Grizzlies 
Golden State Warriors 
Minnesota Timberwolves 
LA Clippers 
Denver Nuggets 
Los Angeles Lakers 
Houston Rockets 
Oklahoma City Thunder 
NBA 
