NBA Finals
OKLAHOMA CITY — Tyrese Haliburton, judging by his play, was predetermined to pick a fight with history. He showed up to Game 7 with malice in his spirit for any idea he doesn’t belong in the annals of basketball history. He opened the scoring for the Indiana Pacers with two deep 3s. He missed his third attempt and stepped back even further and drilled another one the next time.
And as he roared at the sea of blue inside Paycom Center, with noticeable patches of Pacers gold, his intentions were clear. This was a heist. Haliburton showed up to take what many thought didn’t belong to him. He was on the porch of history. Opened the screen door of legendary.
Then, as if fate didn’t appreciate his audacity, as if the basketball gods ruled agony must precede glory, his right Achilles snapped.
“In this moment, my heart dropped for him,” Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I couldn’t imagine playing the biggest game of my life and something like that happening.
