Tyrese Haliburton Details Calf Injury Leading Up to Achilles Tear in NBA Finals Game 7

In his first public comments since tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Tyrese Haliburton detailed the original calf issue that led to him sustaining the injury.

Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Haliburton explained he felt "great" after Game 1 before having some pain in the back of his leg during Game 2, leading to him getting an MRI.

The MRI didn't show anything of "real concern," but Game 5 was when he strained the calf. It didn't cause any problems for Game 6 before his Achilles tore in the first quarter of the decisive game between the Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Along with detailing the lead-up to the injury, Haliburton also said it can largely be chalked up to "injuries are just bad luck sometimes and they happen."

"I think that there's like a notion when guys get injured or when this has happened so many times that everybody thinks that they have the answer to why this is happening," Haliburton added. "Everybody thinks we play too many games, we play too many minutes—all those things could be true but I don't think that is what's causing these injuries."

Haliburton and the Pacers looked like they were going to complete one of the most stunning playoff runs of all-time. He scored nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range in the seven minutes prior to the injury.

The Pacers were leading 14-10 after Haliburton's third made three. There was still 43 minutes of game time remaining at that point, making it impossible to know how things would have played out if he stayed healthy, but it was at least tracking to be a thrilling Game 7.

Even though the Pacers did a good job of keeping the game close for the rest of the first half, they eventually ran out of gas without their best player. The Thunder outscored them 56-43 in the second half to win the championship.

In addition to losing Haliburton for the rest of the game, the Pacers have already said he will miss the entire 2025-26 season while rehabbing the injury.

Haliburton led Indiana to its first NBA Finals appearance since the 1999-2000 season. This season marked the first time the Finals went to Game 7 since 2016 when the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors.