OKLAHOMA CITY — In Tyrese Haliburton’s locker, a framed piece of wisdom from writer Carl Bard sits at about eye level. It’s impossible to miss but as plain as could be, with black text on white paper within a white frame. Haliburton sees it multiple times a day when the Indiana Pacers play at home.

“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new end,” the saying reads. And after losing in the NBA Finals, that expression is now more appropriate than ever to the Pacers.

When it comes to star athletes, Haliburton is as grounded as they come. He’s present in each moment and conversation brought his way. He carries the right energy to every situation he must face. His day-to-day demeanor is endearing to everyone — his teammates, coaches, fans, and even most opponents. And during his solo moments at his locker before and after home games, Haliburton is reminded of beginnings and endings. It’s forceful reflection.

In 2022, Haliburton was traded from the Sacramento Kings to the Pacers. It was a stunning move, and it changed everything for a franchise in Indiana that desperately needed a shakeup. They needed a new start.

Haliburton, however, did not. He was crushed to be traded from the Kings. Yet as he does, he quickly adjusted to his new reality with a contagious smile and unmatched presence. Instantly, the internal feeling within the Pacers shifted. Optimism crept in. A necessary rebuild started, though it didn’t feel as daunting with Haliburton around.

In his first game with his new team, the Pacers set a then-franchise record for points in a first quarter. Haliburton rocked the house in that frame, scoring 12 points and dishing out an assist. He buried two outside shots. It was a sign of what was coming.

“The potential is obvious and very encouraging,” Carlisle said after the outing. “The first quarter was spectacular. The energy, the pace, the ball movement, the shot making. It’s a high bar… you can see the possibilities.”

The Pacers ascended rapidly with Haliburton as their central figure. Their high-paced style formed first, then an elite offense came right after. In the second full season with Haliburton in Indiana, they made the Eastern Conference Finals. He was so good that less than two years after being acquired, the Pacers were ready for another star and traded for Pascal Siakam. Off they went as a duo, leading a voyage that led the Pacers to a winner-takes-all title fight.

What happened to the Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals?

Sunday, led by that pairing, Indiana played in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. It was unreached territory for the blue and gold, who fell in six games during their previous, and only, NBA Finals trip. Win or lose, a brand new ending was coming for the Pacers.

Haliburton, by virtue of his framed quote, thinks about new endings often. His new start with the Pacers was special. It was one epic quarter, followed by two fun, growth-filled seasons. The 2024-25 campaign was nothing short of magical, with the Pacers winning 50 games for the first time in 11 years. They raced through the Eastern Conference postseason field and were on the doorstep of immortality.

Win or lose, the result of Game 7 was going to be a conclusion Indiana hadn’t seen before. They knew it going into the game. Players admitted that their mind wandered leading up to the action as they thought about what could be on Sunday. Sleeping on Saturday night wasn’t a trivial task. Nerves, excitement, anticipation, and anxiety all combined in a way that few get to feel in the NBA.

Just after 7 p.m. local time, the game tipped off. Haliburton, battling a calf injury, was rolling. He hit a three 3.5 minutes into the action. One possession later, another. Before long, a third. He was nearly matching the Thunder on the scoreboard by himself when OKC took a timeout with 7:01 left in the first quarter.

Then, tragedy. Haliburton received a pass from teammate Obi Toppin on the left wing and tried to drive toward the rim. He couldn’t. His right Achilles ruptured and he fell to the floor, launching the ball away with about five minutes remaining in the first period. His pain was immediately obvious as he smacked the court over and over, tears in his eyes. T.J. McConnell, who was waiting at the scorer’s table to check in, was the first Pacers player to reach Haliburton. Soon, the entire roster, as well as a few staffers and coaches, surrounded him on the floor.

His night was over, and the injury was confirmed midday on Monday. It was a crushing blow for the Pacers, who not only had to play without their star but had to carry a heavy emotional toll for the rest of the game. Tony Bradley admitted it took a bit out of him. Toppin blamed himself for the injury due to his involvement in the play.

“I felt like that was my fault, too. Passed the ball to him, and as soon as he went down, that sh— hurt. I ain’t gonna lie. I was thinking about that the whole game,” the bench forward said. Earlier, Toppin admitted he played poorly and took ownership for the loss. “It didn’t go the way we wanted it. I played terrible today,” he began. “Sh— felt like it was my fault.”

The Pacers lost their identity without Haliburton. They also lost their focus, and who could blame them? They all spent a lifetime preparing for this game and spent days thinking about the feelings coming their way. Now, their mentality was shaken, if not broken.

To Indiana’s credit, they battled and took a lead into halftime. But a dominant third quarter from the Thunder was the difference in the 103-91 game. Oklahoma City became champions. The Pacers faced a brand new ending, but one that felt familiar — a loss on the biggest stage. So close, yet not enough.

It hurt more than everyone expected. The Pacers had one game in front of them to win a championship. They knew defeat would be draining. Even then, players freely admitted it was more painful than they foresaw.

“I wanted this one bad for our guys,” Pacers forward James Johnson said of his emotions and his teammates. “We work hard every day to compete every day. They play the game the right way.”

On the court after the game, the Thunder celebrated. Just feet away in the halls of Paycom Center, the Pacers either wept or did everything they could to avoid tears. Wing Aaron Nesmith had just finished crying. Assistant coach Jenny Boucek carried the same look as she hugged her daughter just outside the locker room. A group of team staffers embraced and wiped incoming tears off each other’s faces. The scene was devastating. This brand new ending felt horrible.

As players made their way back to their personal spaces after the game, they were greeted by Haliburton, standing on crutches. They all embraced him individually. “He could have been in the locker room feeling sorry for himself after something like that happened, but he wasn’t. He was up greeting us,” McConnell shared. “A lot of us were hurting from the loss and he was up there consoling us. That’s who Tyrese Haliburton is.”

Inside the locker room, players sat motionless. Thomas Bryant, Johnny Furphy, and Andrew Nembhard were planted in the chairs at their locker and stared off into space. Reality had set in.

Toppin said he felt “Sh—y,” and couldn’t compare the emotion to any that he had felt in his life before. Coming from him, that was particularly revealing. He’s among the most fun-loving players on the Pacers roster, steady as can be with his attitude. Throughout the playoffs, that frequently led to impactful performances. But his gripping smile wasn’t there after Game 7. Nobody had one. Without their star, the Pacers came up short.

And now, the Pacers and Haliburton face the other part of that Bard quote. They have to start from now again. An Achilles tear will rob Haliburton of a significant portion, perhaps all, of his 2025-26 season. Indiana won’t be the same. They have to reset for the coming campaign, then again one year later. The roster will change. Players will be gone, others will be older. Fresh faces will arrive.

But this specific group saw the end in Game 7. So close to glory, they fell short. And it hurt even more after how magical their season was. In early December, they were 10-15, unable to beat some of the worst teams in the NBA. But they banded together, worked hard in practice, got healthy, and were among the league’s best rosters for the final five months of the season.

In the postseason, they made history over and over. Haliburton hit one miraculous shot after another as the Pacers blasted the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks. In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, he did it again. The Pacers felt on top of the World. Fate was on their side. Their style was working, and their star kept making heroic plays.

Yet in the ultimate game, that star went down with a franchise-altering injury. The magic was gone. It was as painful as possible, made more difficult by just how wonderful the last two months were for the team. Some of the best moments in the lives of many Pacers players happened in that span. At the end, agony was waiting.

The group will push on. Resilience was their superpower all postseason long, and it is needed now more than ever. Bouncing back from their low emotional state will be among the greatest challenges any of Indiana’s players have faced.

But they’ll keep going. Haliburton will return one day. And in the meantime, everyone involved will slowly start to realize just how incredible their 2025 playoff run was. It was nearly one of the great sports stories of all time. The ending was cruel, but the journey was incredible and unforgettable. They’ll bond over it forever.

So the Pacers are runner ups. They haven’t felt like this before. Haliburton and company can’t make a new start. But they can start from now and make a brand new ending once again.

From the moment I got out of bed on Sunday, I was thinking about it. From that first sip of coffee until the opening tipoff, most of my day was spent imaging what it would be like to witness the Indiana Pacers hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy into the confetti-filled air at the end of Game 7.

I watched the highlights from this incredible playoff run, then I dug up some of the best moments in Pacers playoff history. I clicked the “play” button on the hype videos shared by the organization — one narrated by radio play-by-play man Mark Boyle, and the other voiced by Indiana legend Reggie Miller.

With tears in my eyes and a catch in my throat, I continued thinking about what an NBA championship would mean to Indianapolis, to the state, and the fanbase. As silly as it sounds, a man who has parlayed a love of sports into a career, I was overwhelmed with emotion.

I wanted this one badly, damnit. I wanted it for Indianapolis, a city that nurtured my passion for sports. I wanted it for Indiana, the state that serves as the foundation for my obsession with basketball. I wanted it for Pacers fans everywhere. I wanted it for my family. Selfishly, I’ll admit, I wanted it for me.

Unfortunately, my dream didn’t become a reality. The Pacers came up one game short of bringing a world championship back to Indianapolis, falling 103-91 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7.

Yes, I’ve buried the lede a little bit here, but this column isn’t aimed at dwelling on the negative. Instead, I’m writing this to celebrate everything the Pacers accomplished this season and to thank them for providing us with one of the most memorable runs in playoff history.

Tyrese Haliburton fueled most of the iconic moments over the last two months. We’ll forever remember his heroics during the postseason, highlighted by the miraculous game-tying bucket against the New York Knicks in Game 1 in Madison Square Garden.

It hardly seems fair that his season ended with an injury in the biggest game in franchise history.

The improbable comebacks, clutch shots, and classic finishes are only a part of what made this run unforgettable. Some of the most memorable moments, at least for me, came outside the game.

My grandmother and I talked on the phone after every Pacers win during this playoff run. There were no formal greetings, just a headfirst dive into a five-minute conversation about the game. Following Haliburton’s game-winning bucket in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, she called me the next day and said, “I woke up thinking about that shot.”

For a pivotal Game 4, my fiancée and I drove four hours for a watch party in Indianapolis, an evening shared with two of my oldest friends. We couldn’t afford tickets to the NBA Finals, but we wanted to experience the atmosphere of a city in euphoria.

A group chat with my father and brother suddenly turned from weekly check-ins to daily messages, most of which revolved around the Pacers. My aunt texted me before Game 7 to say, “I wish we were all watching this together again.”

My mother sent me texts after every game, usually in a state of disbelief, excitement, or frustration, depending on the outcome. My stepfather, a New Yorker, adopted the Pacers as his favorite NBA team simply because he married into the fandom.

The city and the state rallied around the Pacers like it was the 1990s or the early 2000s. Downtown Indianapolis transformed from the Circle City into a Sea of Gold. No matter where you went or who you talked to, every conversation started and ended with basketball.

Pacers legends descended upon Indianapolis in big numbers. Reggie Miller sat courtside for every game during the NBA Finals. Metta World Peace and Lance Stephenson showed their support often. Jermaine O’Neal, Mark Jackson, Stephen Jackson, Dale Davis, Jalen Rose, Travis Best, Rik Smits, Derrick McKey, Brad Miller, Roy Hibbert, Al Harrington, and so many others made appearances at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, representing many different eras of Indiana basketball.

During a time when so much divides us, the Pacers brought us together. They made us proud to wear that “Hoosier” badge, bringing us so much joy and so much hope with every winning play.

This Pacers team reminded us that “In 49 states, it’s just basketball … but this is Indiana.”

Yes, I wanted this one. I wanted it for Bob and Nancy Leonard. I wanted it for Herb Simon. I wanted it for Rick Carlisle. I wanted it for Myles Turner and TJ McConnell. I wanted it for Tyrese. I wanted it for Reggie and Rik. I wanted it for Metta and “Stack.” I wanted it for our city. I wanted it for our state. I wanted it for the fans. I wanted it for this team, which gave us so much to cheer about this year.

The Pacers gave us everything they had every single night. They revitalized a fanbase that has dealt with heartbreak after heartbreak. A team that “experts” projected to lose every playoff series came one game short of bringing the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to Indianapolis. They provided us with a lifetime worth of memories in one postseason run.

It’s painful that the 2024-25 Indiana Pacers couldn’t win an NBA title. But in a matter of days, we’ll all look back on this season, this postseason run, as the most memorable in franchise history. We’ll think about all the positives, on and off the court, for years to come.

For that, I have just two words for this organization and this team … Thank you.

It’s winner take all for the Pascal Siakam-led Indiana Pacers when they clash with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder for Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Sunday, June 22 (6/22/2025) at 8 p.m. ET.

How to watch: Fans can watch the game on ABC, or stream it free via a trial of DirecTV. The game can also be streamed via free trial on fuboTV.

Here’s what you need to know:

What: NBA Finals, Game 7

Who: Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

When: Sunday, June 22, 2025

Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: ABC, ESPN Deportes

Channel finder: DirecTV, Verizon Fios, Cox, Xfinity, Spectrum, Optimum

Live stream: fuboTV (free trial), DirecTV (free trial), Hulu + Live TV

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2025 NBA Finals TV Schedule

All times in ET. ** Signifies that the game will only be played if necessary.

Game 1: Thursday, June 5 | 8:30 p.m. | 111-110 Pacers

Game 2: Sunday, June 8 | 8 p.m. | 123-107 Thunder

Game 3: Wednesday, June 11 | 8:30 p.m. | 116-107 Pacers

Game 4: Friday, June 13 | 8:30 p.m. | 111-104 Thunder

Game 5: Monday, June 16 | 8:30 p.m. | 120-109 Thunder

Game 6: Thursday, June 19 | 8:30 p.m. | 108-91 Pacers

Game 7: Sunday, June 22 | 8 p.m. | ABC (STREAM)

Here’s a recent NBA story from the Associated Press:

Indiana Pacers (50-32, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14, first in the Western Conference)

Oklahoma City; Sunday, 8 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Thunder -7.5; over/under is 215

NBA FINALS: Series tied 3-3

BOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Indiana Pacers in game seven of the NBA Finals. The Pacers defeated the Thunder 108-91 in the last matchup on Friday. Obi Toppin led the Pacers with 20 points, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 21.

The Thunder are 36-6 on their home court. Oklahoma City ranks sixth in the league averaging 14.5 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 37.4% from downtown. Isaiah Joe leads the team averaging 2.6 makes while shooting 41.2% from 3-point range.

The Pacers have gone 21-20 away from home. Indiana has a 22-15 record against opponents over .500.

The Thunder are shooting 48.2% from the field this season, 0.8 percentage points higher than the 47.4% the Pacers allow to opponents. The Pacers average 13.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.3 fewer makes per game than the Thunder give up.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jalen Williams is shooting 48.4% and averaging 21.6 points for the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30.9 points over the last 10 games.

Pascal Siakam is averaging 20.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists for the Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton is averaging 17.0 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 6-4, averaging 113.3 points, 40.8 rebounds, 20.0 assists, 10.3 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 46.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.1 points per game.

Pacers: 5-5, averaging 110.4 points, 40.3 rebounds, 24.2 assists, 9.9 steals and 6.0 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.8 points.

INJURIES: Thunder: Nikola Topic: out for season (acl).

Pacers: Isaiah Jackson: out for season (calf), Jarace Walker: day to day (ankle).

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