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Indiana Pacers prima Tyrese Haliburton sustained a torn close Achilles tendon successful Game 7 of the NBA Finals against Oklahoma City, sources told ESPN connected Monday.
The wounded puts his presumption for the 2025-26 run successful jeopardy.
Haliburton, who played done a calf strain successful the NBA Finals for accidental to triumph a championship, is evaluating surgical options, sources told ESPN.
The seriousness of the wounded was evident from the infinitesimal the Pacers' prima defender -- who had been playing done a strained close calf -- crumpled to the level without contact arsenic helium was attempting to thrust to the handbasket with 4:55 remaining successful the opening quarter.
He instantly began slapping the tribunal successful vexation and remained connected the level arsenic virtually the full Pacers squad surrounded him.
Said Pacers manager Rick Carlisle: "All of our hearts dropped."
Haliburton enactment nary value connected the limb and had his look wrapped successful towels arsenic helium was taken to the locker room. He spent the remainder of the 103-91 loss surrounded by family, with applause that could beryllium heard from extracurricular the locker country arsenic helium watched the Pacers autumn abbreviated successful their effort to clinch a title without him.
He suffered the calf strain successful Game 5 of the Finals, but helium insisted connected playing done the injury, saying, "If I tin walk, I privation to play."
The time earlier Game 7, Haliburton acknowledged aft signifier his limb was "still stiff, inactive sore," but helium said helium planned to play done it.
Haliburton, 25, had been the breakout prima of the postseason, starring Indiana connected its improbable tally to the Finals. In each 4 rounds, helium deed a tying oregon winning changeable successful the last seconds, becoming the league's archetypal subordinate bash truthful successful a azygous postseason.
He was averaging 17.7 points and a playoff-leading 9.0 assists connected 46% shooting entering Sunday. His 197 assists were a franchise grounds for a azygous postseason.
"He authored 1 of the large idiosyncratic playoff runs successful the past of the NBA with melodramatic play aft melodramatic play," Carlisle said. "It was thing that nary one's ever seen and did it arsenic 1 of 17. You know, that's the beauteous happening astir him: As large a subordinate arsenic helium is, it's ever a squad thing."
ESPN's Jamal Collier contributed to this report.
