It is common knowledge that the Indiana Pacers are missing Tyrese Haliburton badly, and their 141-135 loss in double overtime on Thursday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder showed as much. The Pacers' fighting spirit remains alive and well, but without Haliburton to commandeer the offense in the clutch, Indiana simply did not have enough — especially against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored a career-high 55 points in the Thunder win.
With Haliburton recovering from a ruptured Achilles, it stands to reason that he'll be missing the entire 2025-26 season. He's only 25 years of age and there's no reason for the Pacers to rush him back on the court.
But it looks like the star floor general is making significant progress in his recovery, as he mentioned on the ESPN broadcast of their NBA Finals rematch against the Thunder on Thursday that he's already “started running, jumping, [and] doing all the little things”, as pointed out by Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.
Even with the Pacers star on the right track in his recovery, there still remains a ton of work to be done before he's able to return to the hardwood for his team. In the meantime, Indiana will have to cover for him and make up the production they're missing while he's on the mend.
While Andrew Nembhard struggled in his first game as the Pacers' lead point guard, the rest of the team picked up the slack anyway despite their loss to the Thunder. Bennedict Mathurin appears to be ready to take that big leap in his fourth season in the NBA, while Pascal Siakam is as reliable of a hand as ever.
This Pacers team should compete for a playoff spot, especially in the mediocre Eastern Conference.
Pacers look to keep winning identity even amid Tyrese Haliburton's injury
The Pacers have made it (at least) to the Eastern Conference Finals over the past two years, as they have established a winning identity under head coach Rick Carlisle. They pick up opposing ballhandlers the length of the court, they play together and try to get the best shot possible on every possession, and they are stone-cold, able to drill difficult shots against the best defenders in the association.
This year may be a transition year for the Pacers, but make no mistake about it, they are not just about to go down without a fight so that once Haliburton returns next season, they'll be able to pick up where they left off in the 2025 NBA Finals.
