Haliburton joins list of fallen stars

NEW YORK (AFP) — Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton had undergone a surgery after suffering a torn right Achilles tendon, making him the latest star stricken by a severe injury in the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs.

The 25-year-old American point guard went down Sunday in a Game 7 loss to Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals and is at risk of missing the entire 2025-26 campaign.

The Pacers said in a statement that Haliburton underwent surgery on the tendon on Tuesday (Manila time) in New York by Dr. Martin O’Malley.

The injury is similar to one which cost NBA star Kevin Durant a full season after being hurt in the 2019 NBA Finals.

Haliburton joined a grim roll call of players who have suffered ruptured Achilles tendons in this year’s playoffs that includes Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard. All three players are uncertain for next season.

Haliburton played despite a calf strain in the NBA Finals in hopes of bringing the Pacers their first NBA title, but Oklahoma City won 103-91 for its first title.

Durant played for Golden State on a calf strain before going down with a torn Achilles tendon six years ago in the finals against Toronto.

“Damn man... SMH (shaking my head) too familiar,” Golden State’s Draymond Green posted on social media after Haliburton went down.

The Pacers star fell to court without being touched as he tried to drive to the basket just over seven minutes into the first quarter of the winner-take-all contest in the best-of-seven championship series.

“What happened with Tyrese, all of our hearts dropped,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said after the game.

“But he will be back. I don’t have any medical information about what may or may not have happened, but he’ll be back in time, and I believe he’ll make a full recovery.”