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The Indiana Pacers' Cinderella run all the way to Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals extracted a heavy toll in the form of Tyrese Haliburton, who had to exit in the early goings of the biggest game of the season after suffering a torn Achilles. Haliburton's injury put the Pacers on the back foot and never allowed them to fully recover; Indiana didn't just lose Game 7 of the NBA Finals, they also lost the war, as they are not likely to compete for a title in 2026 with Haliburton expected to miss the rest of the season.
The best-case scenario now for the Pacers is for Haliburton to recover to full strength so they could attempt another deep playoff run during the 2026-27 campaign. At the moment, the most pressing matter for Haliburton is to progress well in his recovery, and it looks like he's doing just that after reaching a milestone in his recuperation.
The Pacers star, posting on his official account on X (formerly Twitter), showed off that he was back to wearing sneakers yet again, and in the process of doing so, he promoted his signature shoe as well — the PUMA Hali 1.
Feels good to have 2 shoes on again🙏🏽💙 pic.twitter.com/OU4gH8uDFw
— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) August 14, 2025
It will be a slow and painful recovery for the Pacers star, so every win he achieves must be celebrated. Haliburton had plenty of memorable moments in the 2025 NBA playoffs, proving himself to be one of the most clutch players in the association.
He did give it his all during the Pacers' magical run, and the basketball world is better off with him healthy, so all fans of the sport have to be wishing him a speedy progression in his torn Achilles rehab.
Pacers are in for a down year as Tyrese Haliburton recovers
The Pacers should still contend for a playoff spot in the East, even with Haliburton out due to injury. They have more than enough talent to do so, especially after keeping the core that made it to the NBA Finals (sans Myles Turner) intact. However, their fanbase must temper its expectations, as they are not likely to go far into the playoffs without Haliburton.
Even then, the Pacers have earned themselves so much goodwill with the incredible 2024-25 season they had that anything they will accomplish this season is just icing on top. This would then remove the pressure from Haliburton to recover as quickly as possible, ensuring his return to 100 percent come the 2026-27 campaign.
