The Pacers were prepared for the worst after star guard Tyrese Haliburton exited Game 7 of the NBA Finals with an Achilles injury. The news around the injury confirms the franchise’s worst suspicions.
In the immediate aftermath of the scary moment, Indiana officially declared it a right lower leg injury. Later, Haliburton’s father informed ESPN that initial tests revealed an injury to the Achilles tendon.
Further tests confirmed the exact injury, confirming the worst-case scenario of a torn Achilles tendon.
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Here is more on what could be next for Indiana’s star.
What is Tyrese Haliburton’s injury?
Haliburton sustained a torn right Achilles tendon, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Monday.
The injury was initially declared as a right lower leg injury, but his father confirmed it was an Achilles injury, per his father. With Haliburton sustaining a torn Achilles tendon, he faces a lengthy road to recovery.
How long is Tyrese Haliburton out?
No two Achilles injuries are alike, but the rehab and recovery process takes nine months, at minimum. Based on that timeline, Haliburton would be cleared at the end of March 2026 at the earliest.
With the NBA season ending in mid-April, Haliburton could miss the majority of the 2025-26 NBA season, if not all of it. Given Haliburton’s young age and his importance to the franchise, Indiana could take a cautious approach and shelve its franchise player for the entirety of the season.
After the game, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said, “What happened with Tyrese, just all of our hearts dropped. But he will be back.”
Carlisle added that, “He’ll be back in time. And I believe he’ll make a full recovery.”
Haliburton’s injury came less than a week after he suffered a strained calf in the same leg. There have been many reports linking the first injury to the second, and Haliburton’s decision to play through the calf injury may have made him more susceptible to something more serious.
If it is a torn Achilles, Haliburton would be the third star player to suffer the same fate this postseason, as Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard did so in the first round and Boston’s Jayson Tatum ruptured his Achilles in the conference semifinals.
The Pacers confirmed that Haliburton tore his Achilles. The star guard is expected to have surgery on Monday, when he will begin his recovery.
Tyrese Haliburton suffered an injury to his right Achilles tendon during last night’s game at Oklahoma City.
An MRI taken today that confirmed he tore his right Achilles tendon and surgery is scheduled for later today.
More info: https://t.co/DD5ZCgPA6F pic.twitter.com/OINPMODzPh
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) June 23, 2025
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