The Indiana Pacers were short in Game 7 and lost 103-91 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals.
Many pointed to Tyreese Halliburton’s early injuries due to the defeat. Halliburton managed just seven minutes before suffering serious injuries to the end of the night.
The Pacers showed resilience despite the set-off, leading 48-47 at halftime before OKC’s dominant third quarter sealed their fate.
Speaking after the heartbreaking loss, head coach Rick Carlisle refused to use Tyree Halliburton’s injury as an excuse.
Instead, he offered high praise to Thunder coach Mark Deanoo and gave a cruel and honest assessment when OKC likely secured the championship.
“One of the great young coaches of all professional sports. And his team, the beginning of this season, and everything could have painted those buses in December,” Carlisle said.
Carlisle expressed great pride in his team’s unlikely championship run. Few people in the NBA community believed the Pacers could reach the final.
“It was an incredible series. I’m very proud of our players. I’m very proud of our organization. Our fans showed up a lot tonight. It was really moving,” Carlisle said.
Pacer’s journey from long shots in the playoffs to a finals contender proved mental toughness and collectivity throughout the season.
Regarding his star player injury, Carlisle was unable to provide a specific timeline for Halliburton’s return. However, he expressed confidence in the young guard’s ability to bounce back from a retreat.
“What happened at Tylese has just all of our minds fell, but he’ll be back. I don’t have any medical information about what happened or what may not, but he goes back in time,” Carlisle said.
“I believe he will fully recover. He wrote one of the great individual playoff runs in NBA history with dramatic play after dramatic play.”
The loss led Carlisle to another chance of championship glory, leading the former underdog Dallas Mavericks to the 2011 title. Despite the shortage, his Pacers proved they belong to the biggest stage of basketball.