Tyrese Haliburton has a formidable reputation in the NBA as one of the toughest and most competitive players in the league. His clutch shots over last season broke many hearts in the NBA. The Indiana Pacers pushed the Oklahoma City Thunder all the way this year. Their 7-game series was an example of how the small-market team has found success in the modern-day NBA. It has now emerged that Haliburton played through a calf strain in Game 6 of this year’s Finals. His performance in that Game 6 matchup was tremendous and rallied the troops for a Game 7 showdown.
Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers have shown consistent performances
The season began with the Thunder claiming that elusive number one seed, and they lived up to that promise by putting in some truly title-worthy performances. The Pacers, on the other hand, have not played with that same expectation of success. They started the season off the back of a Conference Finals defeat to the Boston Celtics and were determined to do one better this season and win the ultimate prize in basketball.
That defeat to the Celtics must have been a tricky result to accept. But thanks to the leadership of Rick Carlisle they understood that they have the potential to not only make it to the NBA Finals, but win it as well. Once again they found themselves in the Eastern Conference Finals, only this time they were facing the New York Knicks. Tyrese Haliburton’s last-second shot sealed the deal against the Knicks, and the Pacers had made it to the promised land, the NBA Finals.
The NBA Finals brought out the best in Tyrese Haliburton
Tyrese Haliburton is not your typical point guard. While most point guards are smaller in size, Haliburton is lanky and tall. He is also not what you would consider a top-tier scorer in the NBA, focusing more on creating scoring opportunities for his teammates. His dimes are remarkable, and his ability to lead the team seems to come naturally to “Hali”.
It has now emerged that Tyrese Haliburton was playing with a calf strain that flared up in Game 5. His calves have been a niggling problem for Haliburton last season. Before the Game 6 matchup, Haliburton went through a walkthrough along with strength testing, passing all necessary checks. He showed up nothing like the player who limped off after Game 5 and had a unique connection with Pacers center, Miles Turner, who has now been traded in a move that shocked the NBA.
Thanks to the wonder of modern medicine, which included hyperbaric treatments, needles, massage, electronic stimulation, and even special tape, Haliburton not only played in Game 6 but also led the Pacers to victory and set up a Game 7 in Oklahoma City. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle had the following to say after the Game 5 win:
“He didn’t want a lot of attention. He was doing everything possible to be able to play. Fortunately, we were able to keep his minutes reasonable because we had a great first half and a good start to the third quarter.”
Haliburton had the following to say regarding the situation and his feelings about facing the Thunder in Game 7:
“I have a lot of trust in our medical staff. I have a lot of trust in our organization to make the right decision. I think there’s been many situations through the course of my career where they’ve trusted me on my body. … I want to be out there. That’s the plan. I think I have to be as smart as I want to be. Have to understand the risks, ask the right questions. I’m a competitor. I want to play. I’m going to do everything in my power to play. That’s just what it is.
The season ended in heartbreak for Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers
Game 7 promised to be an entertaining affair. The Thunder were so close, but the Pacers are modern-day warriors, and having patched up his leg as best as possible, Tyrese was ready to play. It would all end it heartbreak for Tyrese and the Pacers fans as in the first quarter Haliburton suffered a serious Achilles injury. His physical and emotional pain was evident as he slapped the floor in frustration after falling down. Replays actually show the injury happening in real time, as you can see his calf absorbing the injury. Tyrese will most likely be out for the 2025-26 season. Can the Pacers mount a return to the Finals without him?
