It was a night of heartbreak for the Indiana Pacers, losing the Finals after a 103-91 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7. But the defining moment of the clash came long before the final buzzer. It was when Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles tendon in the first quarter.
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The injury sucked the soul right out of what was arguably one of the most spirited post-season runs made by a team in recent NBA history. The Pacers did put up a fight and even led by one point heading into the third quarter. But that spark was missing, and OKC capitalized, winning their first-ever championship in front of home fans.
Boston Celtics legend Cedric Maxwell recognized the effort put in by underdog Indiana, not just in Game 7, but throughout the series. On an episode of Nightcap, he praised T.J. McConnell and coach Rick Carlisle in particular.
However, Maxwell always knew that without Haliburton, the night was always going to end on a sad note for the Pacers. To explain why, he brought up the example of another star player who injured himself badly this postseason: Jayson Tatum.
“When games go like this, to me it is almost scripted at the end,” Maxwell, a two-time NBA champ, began.
He spoke about how the Pacers came out of the tunnel hungry and had a blistering start. Haliburton made three three-pointers in seven minutes before going down with the injury. And after he left the floor, things just weren’t the same.
“Indiana had nothing to lose…I think that’s why they played early. They played well early, but you could see the bubble; all the air just go out of the bubble when it happened, and the injury. Same thing happened with the Celtics when Tatum went down,” added Maxwell, referring to Tatum’s Achilles injury, which he sustained in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference second round vs. the New York Knicks.
It put Boston 3-1 down in the series. And although the 2024 champs were hopeful of a comeback led by Jaylen Brown, it was a stretch. New York won and cruised into the Conference Finals.
“It was just a matter of time before the team was over,” Maxwell stated.
For the Celtics, it most likely spelled the end of this particular era. With salary cap restrictions and Tatum’s lengthy absence, they will likely be forced to make some major offloads this summer. As for the Pacers, the next few days will determine what their future might look like.
Carlisle’s team certainly wants to make another run, but some experts remain uncertain. How long Haliburton will be out and whether the entire roster stays intact during the offseason, remains to be seen.
