Rick Carlisle to blame for Tyrese Haliburton's achilles injury? Dramatic reactions from NBA Finals Game 7
Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle faced a lot of flak on social media after the team's star point guard Tyrese Haliburton was removed from the NBA Finals' Game 7 vs the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. The 25-year-old suffered a torn Achilles in the first quarter, and the Pacers just lost their momentum. Head coach Rick Carlisle of the Indiana Pacers reacts during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder (Getty Images via AFP)
Haliburton was already nursing a serious calf injury and had to miss minutes in the playoffs. However, he was vocally adamant about playing the finals. On Sunday, his season ended on a low when he tumbled to the court in a heap. The 25-year-old, visibly frustrated, began punching the floor and needed to be helped to the locker room.
Read More: Tyrese Haliburton risking his career by playing NBA Finals Game 7 with injury? Alarming update surfaces
John Haliburton, Tyrese's father, told ABC it was an Achilles tendon injury. The Pacers ruled out their playoff star for the rest of the game.
'It's a heartbreak, man,' Pacers center Myles Turner told ABC. 'It's unfortunate ... but we've got his back.'
Pacers coach Carlisle was slammed on social media for letting Haliburton play with an injury.
'Im single handedly blaming Rick Carlisle for Haliburton's Achilles & I'm going to destroy Carlisle if Indiana loses,' one person wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
Read More: NBA finals game 7: How much prize money will winning team receive as stage set for Pacers vs Thunder battle
'Two games away from delivering your franchise its first championship and Tyrese played through a calf strain that led to an achilles rupture. You can blame medical staff but I will forever respect him for the rest of his career,' another person added.
Ahead of Game 6, Haliburton had admitted that he wants to play.
'I think I have to be as smart as I want to be. Have to understand the risks, ask the right questions. I'm a competitor. I want to play. I'm going to do everything in my power to play. That's just what it is.'
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