Tyrese Halliburton gives positive update on recovery from Achilles injury

It is common knowledge that it is Indiana Pacers are missing Tyrese Halliburton bad, and that was shown in their 141-135 loss in double overtime on Thursday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pacers’ fighting spirit is still alive and well, but without Halliburton to take away the offense in the clutch, Indiana just didn’t have enough — especially against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored a record 55 points in a Thunder win.

With Halliburton recovering from a torn Achilles, it makes sense that he will miss the entire 2025-26 season. He is only 25 years old and there is no reason for the Pacers to bring him back to the court.

But the star general seems to be making significant progress in his recovery, as he mentioned on ESPN’s broadcast of their NBA Finals rematch against the Thunder on Thursday that he’s already “started running, jumping, (and) doing all the little things,” as Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints pointed out.

Even with the Pacers star on track in his recovery, there is still a lot of work to be done before he is able to return to the hardwood for his team. In the meantime, Indiana will need to cover him and make up for the production they’re missing while he recovers.

Doc Andrew Nembhardt struggled in his first game as the Pacers’ leading point guard, the rest of the team still picked up the slack despite the loss to the Thunder. Benedict Maturin looks poised to make a big splash in his fourth NBA season, while Pascal Siakam is as reliable as ever.

This Pacers team should compete for a playoff spot, especially in a mediocre Eastern Conference.

The Pacers are looking to continue carving out an identity even amid Tyrese Halliburton’s injury

The Pacers have (at least) advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals the last two years as they have established a winning identity under head coach Rick Carlisle. They catch opposing players with the ball the length of the field, play together and try to get the best shot on every possession, and are cool, capable of drilling hard shots against the best defenders in the league.

This year may be a transition year for the Pacers, but make no mistake, they won’t just go down without a fight, so when Haliburton returns next season, they can pick up where they left off in the 2025 NBA Finals.