Written by Michael Marrot
AP’s Indianapolis There was a stillness Sunday night after the gasp inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Indiana Pacers’ boisterous supporters fell silent seven minutes into Game 7 of the NBA Finals as they tried to comprehend what they were seeing—a repeat of two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton’s lower right leg injury and his father John’s distressed expression.
They assumed they had the diagnosis before they ever heard it.
“I could see it kind of explode, and I saw (his Achilles tendon) pop immediately,” said Nick Poore, 37, a lifetime supporter of his hometown team. difficult. Life moves on; it’s just what it is. You know, what can you do but take it on the chin?
In his postgame remarks, coach Rick Carlisle mentioned that the team’s hearts fell, just like so many did inside their home arena, although he did not disclose that it was a torn Achilles tendon.
Although Haliburton’s teammates made a great effort to rally without their leader, they faltered in the last minutes of the third quarter and the first part of the fourth quarter of a 103-91 loss to Oklahoma City. This defeat put Indiana’s title drought at 49 years and left many wondering what would happen next.
Perhaps the most gut-wrenching of all was this one.
Haliburton only played 23 minutes on Thursday due to a strained right calf, but still managed to score 14 points and dish out five assists to help Indiana force the game on Sunday. Haliburton claimed that after two additional days of recuperation, he felt better and got off to his best start of the series with nine points and three 3-pointers.
Poore stated that Tyrese was about to leave as he was about to prepare. You could tell he was carrying it tonight, so that was difficult.
However, a single misstep ended Haliburton’s evening and crushed the dreams of numerous Pacers supporters who had come to celebrate the long-awaited championship.
It’s definitely not what we were hoping to see, but you know what he’ll want. The Pacers’ television play-by-play commentator, Chris Denari, informed the astonished audience that he would like this team to keep fighting. He is this team’s leader. We are aware of his intentions since he traveled from Sacramento, and while he will require our prayers and thoughts, he will want this squad to persevere and win an NBA championship.
Denari’s plea was answered by the boisterous cheers of the fans after every Pacers basket, defensive stop, Thunder foul, or turnover. However, once Oklahoma City established a 21-point advantage, the late runs finally took their toll, hustling supporters and driving others away for good.
Even worse, it represents yet another potentially harsh phase in the franchise’s arduous and protracted past.
The three-time ABA champion team has experienced every seemingly conceivable and unthinkable setback since joining the NBA, including the 1977 telethon that saved the team, the Malice in the Palace that cost Reggie Miller his final chance at a championship, close calls with LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals, and Boston’s conference final sweep last year, in which Haliburton missed the final two games due to injury.
The history of injuries is another. Following Miller’s retirement, Victor Oladipo, Paul George, and Danny Granger all seemed destined to be the Pacers’ next big thing, but injuries ended their careers. Haliburton is now attempting to break the jinx.
Vernon Morgan, a Pacers fan since George McGinnis played for the ABA team in the early 1970s, called it heartbreaking. We’re still waiting to find out whether this injury will hurt his career or if he’ll get well. We’ve been counted out before, but I understand that he will likely be out for the entire upcoming year.
How difficult has this been for Pacers supporters?
Like many of the people who stood in the long lines on the city’s streets, 27-year-old Anthony Brehob arrived with high expectations and a Roy Hibbert jersey.
“I’m hoping Haliburton wins in the end, and I’m anticipating a close game,” Brehob stated. It will be a long night if they lose.
The issue at hand is that there will be a lot of concerns about Haliburton and what to anticipate when he does return, and the offseason will be lengthy.
Haliburton, who was using crutches on Sunday night, is expected to fully recover, according to Carlisle. The truth is that the future still appears bright in a state that has produced both the real-life and Hollywood Hoosiers because it loves underdogs so much.
And that gives these fans at least some comfort.
When it comes to Indiana’s playoff run, Morgan said that’s enough to celebrate. They are a young team, and we forced them to Game 7. They will return. We have already been counted out; no one expected us to produce a compelling story. Next year, we’ll be back.
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