The Indiana Pacers lost the NBA Finals in one of the most painful ways possible Sunday night after star guard Tyrese Haliburton exited Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to an Achilles tear in his right leg.
Haliburton had nine points in seven minutes prior to getting injured in the first quarter, and his untimely setback blew the air out of his team's momentum, making an already tough matchup against the formidable Thunder even tougher. The Pacers saw the game get away from them in the second half, and went on to lose 103-91, missing out on their chance of winning the franchise’s first ever NBA championship.
The basketball world grieved for Haliburton following his cruel twist of fate, with even a few Thunder players consoling the Pacers star and sending him classy postgame messages.
To little surprise, Pacers legend and TNT analyst Reggie Miller also seemed very emotional about Haliburton's injury, and gave the 25-year-old a few words of comfort in an Instagram post after the Game 7 loss.
Miller shared a single solemn photo of Haliburton on his Instagram account and wrote in the caption:
"I felt the gut punch to Pacer Nation, not only from the loss, but the loss of our fearless leader @tyresehaliburton. The man upstairs always has a master plan and 'this too shall pass.'"
He continued: "I’m very grateful of the @pacers TEAM for bringing so much pride, grit and togetherness back to Indiana basketball.. Masterful job on the sideline Coach Rick Carlisle, and let’s not forget about all the men and women who work in the Front Offices who sacrifice a lot of their time to make things happen.. #OGProudPacer."
It was so heartbreaking to see Haliburton clutching his leg in visible pain on the court, knowing he wouldn't be able to help his team in their biggest do-or-die game in franchise history. Hopefully, the Pacers star has a swift recovery and picks up right where he left off when he's back to full strength.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Reggie Miller Shared His Powerful Message to Tyrese Haliburton After Achilles Injury .