OKLAHOMA CITY — A visibly emotional Tyrese Haliburton was helped off the court after going down with a right lower leg injury in the first quarter of Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night.
Haliburton put no weight on the leg as he was taken to the Indiana Pacers‘ locker room for evaluation. The team later announced he would not return.
Haliburton, who had been playing through a strained right calf, crumpled to the ground with the non-contact injury as he was attempting to drive to the basket with 4:55 remaining in the opening quarter.
He immediately began punching the court in frustration and remained on the floor as virtually the entire Indiana playing, coaching and medical staff surrounded him. Members of the training staff carried him down the tunnel to the locker room, with a towel covering his head.
Haliburton had nine points, all on 3-pointers, when he got hurt.
Despite suffering a calf strain in Game 5 of the Finals, Haliburton had insisted on playing through the injury, saying, “If I can walk, I want to play.”
Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.