T.J. McConnell shares how Tyrese Haliburton’s Game 7 injury impacted the Indiana Pacers mentally – “When it happened, it kind of took our soul away” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The Indiana Pacers nearly completed a stunning upset during the 2025 NBA Finals. With no one expecting them to win it all this season, the Pacers took the best regular season team in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder, to a winner-take-all Game 7 in the championship series.
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Unfortunately, Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in the first quarter of Game 7, and although the Pacers did not just lie down and die, the game was already decided right there and then.
Pacers reserve guard T.J. McConnell talked about the team losing Hali in their most crucial game of the season.
“It was just devastating. I think one of our teammates, Obi Toppin, said when it happened, it kind of took our soul, took our soul away. Just like you see your franchise guy go down like that in the middle of a play, and he was cooking at that point, too. I’m not saying that…you obviously can’t predict anything. But if he stays healthy, I think we’re thinking of a different outcome. But that’s sports,” said McConnell on “The Christian Kuntz Podcast.”
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Hali was 3-5 from 3-point distance in the first seven minutes of Game 7
Haliburton was already dealing with calf issues before Game 7. However, there was no way he was sitting out the biggest game of his NBA career, even if he knew there were serious risks. His worst fear happened in the first quarter when he tore his Achilles.
When the injury happened, Tyrese was on a heater as he made 3-5 3-pointers and had 9 points. The score was 16-16, and in a Game 7, the visiting team has to weather the first-quarter storm from the home squad first. It looked like they were doing that, but then Hali got hurt.
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Indiana kept it close until halftime as they took a 48-47 lead at the break. However, the Thunder offense got going in the third and without their floor general, the Pacers succumbed to the pressure. The Thunder ran away with the game in this period and never looked back. OKC ended up winning the game 103-91, but you can just imagine what could have happened if Indiana hadn’t lost Hali.
Haliburton greeted his fallen teammates in the hallway
Not only did Haliburton cheer on his teammates in the locker room after leaving the game, but he also walked with crutches and greeted each one of them in the hallway after the game. McConnell said that act showed Haliburton’s true personality and leadership.
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“When that happened, just the guy that he is, Tyrese is the greatest human being, great teammate. So when you see that happen to a guy who knew the risk of playing, but he went and played anyway, it’s honestly just heartbreaking to see. And then you come off the floor, and he’s waiting in the hallway, not in his locker, sulking. He’s waiting in the hallway, consoling us. That’s just who Tyrese Haliburton is. He’s a great guy,” continued T.J.
Just recently, Pacers president Kevin Pritchard announced that they will take a cautious approach with Haliburton and will sit him out for the entire 2025-26 campaign. That means next season will likely be tough for McConnell and the rest of the team. Still, coming off a Finals stint, it’s hard to write off Indiana this early.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.