The Indiana Pacers were right there. One win away. One quarter, one half, one full 48 minutes from hoisting the franchise’s first-ever NBA championship trophy. But in a gut-wrenching twist straight out of a sports tragedy script, their floor general Tyrese Haliburton went down just seven minutes into Game 7, and so did Indiana’s title hopes. In his first public interview since the injury, Haliburton sat down with The Pat McAfee Show and gave fans a brutally honest look at the moment that changed everything.
“You always hear people who have this injury say it feels like somebody kicked you in the back of the leg,” Haliburton said. “It’s not the most painful thing, but it does feel like if you let some elementary-age kid just come up and line you up like a kickball and just kick you in the back of the leg. That’s what it feels like. When I went down, I knew right away what had happened.”
Brutal. Raw. Unfiltered. Haliburton knew the second his body gave out that it was over, not just for him, but likely for the Pacers too. The man didn’t need a doctor’s diagnosis. He felt the crack in the dream the moment his leg buckled.
Tyrese Haliburton Put It All on the Line for Indiana
And here’s the thing: he knew this was a possibility. After injuring his calf following Game 5, there was already concern that something worse could be on the horizon. The Pacers managed to coast in a blowout win in Game 6, giving fans hope that maybe, just maybe, Haliburton was going to tough it out and carry Indiana to glory. But then came Game 7 in Oklahoma City. The stakes were the highest, the spotlight the brightest, and the risk… well, Haliburton knew what was on the line.
There’s a reason he was so emotional on the court as the trainers helped him off. It wasn’t just physical pain; it was the sinking realization that everything he’d worked for was slipping away. He didn’t just tweak a muscle. He ruptured the very heartbeat of Indiana’s Cinderella playoff run. “I knew right away what had happened,” he repeated. However, despite the disappointing ending, fans are still talking about’ Hali’s heart. “Guys are still measuring themselves against Kobe’s toughness,” one wrote regarding Tyrese’s situation.
Despite the devastating outcome, Haliburton made it clear he has no regrets about suiting up for that final game. And really, how could he? He was staring down a potential once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“There is no guarantee that I will get back to the NBA Finals,” he admitted. That alone says everything you need to know about where his head was at. He knew it might not come around again. So he laid it all on the line.
Indiana Has a Good One in Tyrese Haliburton
It’s the kind of risk that defines the great ones. Even though Indiana came up short, Haliburton earned respect across the league for putting it all on the hardwood. His regular season stats were rock solid: 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 9.2 assists per game, while shooting nearly 39 percent from deep. But none of those numbers tell the full story of what he meant to this team. He was the engine. The lifeblood. The guy.
Now the Pacers will have to survive a full season without him. That’s no small task, especially after tasting the Finals for the first time. But if anyone can bounce back from an Achilles tear with their drive and vision intact, it’s Haliburton.
The road ahead is long. Rehab, setbacks, and doubt will come. But don’t count Tyrese out. He’s already proven he’s willing to sacrifice his body for the shot at greatness. Next time around, he just might finish the job.
