Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) falls to the court with an injury during the first half of Game 7 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Oklahoma City Thunder Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
The Indiana Pacers confirmed Monday that star Tyrese Haliburton sustained a torn right Achilles tendon in Sunday night’s NBA Finals Game 7 loss at Oklahoma City.
The All-NBA guard was helped off the court and immediately taken to the locker room in obvious pain during the first quarter.
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“An MRI taken on Monday confirmed that Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon,” the Pacers said in a statement Monday evening. “Surgery is scheduled later today with Dr. Martin O’Malley at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.”
The statement added that additional updates on his status will be “provided as appropriate.” The typical recovery time for a basketball player with a torn Achilles tendon ranges from eight to 10 months.
Haliburton, 25, had been playing through a strained right calf, an injury he is believed to have suffered in Indiana’s Game 5 loss at Oklahoma City.
With the game tied 16-16 and 5:03 on the clock, Haliburton accepted a pass outside the 3-point arc and pushed off the ball of his right foot to initiate a drive to the basket. Instead of maneuvering past Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, he fell to the floor in anguish while losing possession of the ball. While the Thunder went the other way for a dunk, Haliburton pounded the floor with his hand several times and was unable to put weight on the leg while being escorted to the locker room.
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Without Haliburton, the Pacers were outscored 56-43 in the second half as Oklahoma City won the championship with a 103-91 victory.
The two-time All-Star scored nine points with three 3-pointers before leaving the floor. He averaged 14.0 points, 5.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds during the NBA Finals.
Fellow All-Stars Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics are currently recovering from the same injury. They, too, suffered their injuries during the 2025 NBA playoffs.
Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 73 games (all starts) during the regular season. He has career averages of 17.5 points, 8.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 333 games (294 starts) for the Sacramento Kings (2020-22) and Pacers.
