Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Tyrese Haliburton's injury: 'It's not fair. But competition isn't fair sometimes'


Knew from the second he made impact. Slapping the floor, again and again; burying his face in his forearm; grimacing, crying, screaming no, no, no. He couldn’t walk. He couldn’t be out there. “I couldn’t imagine playing the biggest game of my life and something like that happening,” Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game. “It’s not fair. But competition isn’t fair sometimes.”
Source: Yahoo! Sports

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: “Feels amazing. My dreams came true” sportando.basketball/en/shai-gilgeo…4:23 AM
Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Haliburton injury: “It could be more severe than reported,” says Dr. Sutterer sportando.basketball/en/haliburton-…3:47 AM
Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
Shai, Hailey, Larry, Bill and Ares.
pic.x.com/hmwybPc44e3:46 AM

Eurohoops @Eurohoopsnet
😥 Same injury , same conference, same year, same number ! Haliburton, Tatum and Lillard.
Prayers up 🙏 pic.x.com/8YHhclSv3b3:40 AM

Eurohoops @Eurohoopsnet
🇨🇦🙌 Shai had a season for the history books!
First MVP ✅
First Finals ✅
First Finals MVP ✅
First Championship ✅
🔥 Only Willis Reed (1970) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1971) have won it all in the same season! pic.x.com/LkbpUEL6ho2:13 AM

Dave Mason @DeuceMason
We talked all things Game 7, Haliburton’s injury and OKC’s impressive run:
youtube.com/watch?v=TugDEb… pic.x.com/vQkkJ19Lsk2:03 AM

Scott Agness @ScottAgness
Tyrese Haliburton on crutches and with his right foot in a boot as he left the arena pic.x.com/mMbuA5Sndn1:51 AM

Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBA
New Dunc’d On is out and FREE. @DannyLeroux and I break down the epic journey of this Thunder team while mourning the Tyrese Haliburton injury and what might have been.
Then, a look at the Kevin Durant trade from every possible angle. Search “Dunc’d On” in your podcast player. pic.x.com/0tED2eIxdJ1:18 AM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s epic season adds one more trophy: Finals MVP
nbcsports.com/nba/news/shai-…12:59 AM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
2024 USA gold medal mens 🏀 in 2025
Embiid: knee
Booker: Suns 11th place
Durant: ankle, traded
Davis: traded, adductor
Adebayo: swept
James: MCL
Curry: hamstring
Tatum: Achilles
White: lost East semis
Holiday: ditto
Edwards: lost WCF in 5 2nd straight year
Haliburton: Achilles pic.x.com/zMSY9vRtsb12:57 AM

Eurohoops @Eurohoopsnet
🎉🏆 OKC ARE THE 2024/25 NBA CHAMPIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CLUB’S HISTORY!!
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named Finals MVP! 🙌 pic.x.com/nf2IKdfsa312:38 AM

Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Chet Holmgren speaking of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander “at the end of the day that’s going to go down as one of the greatest seasons that’s ever been had as a player” – 12:05 AM
Rob Perez @WorldWideWob
uhhhhhhh no timeouts with 4:11 left and shai has 5 fouls. – 10:37 PM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
This is the 9th time this season, including third time this postseason, that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has picked up five fouls.
He has yet to foul out this season. – 10:35 PM
Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
Imagine SGA with Mathurin’s whistle. – 10:34 PM
Tom Haberstroh @tomhaberstroh
With 27 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has now clinched at least a 30.0 PPG figure in his first NBA Finals. – 10:33 PM
Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
A LOT of contact on JDub on one end.
SGA picks up his 5th foul on a call to send Mathurin to the line yet again on the other end. – 10:32 PM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has attempted a postseason career high 11 3s tonight.
And he has been absolutely terrible shooting them, missing a postseason career high 9 of them. – 10:30 PM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Shai with a Kobe Bryant Game 7 tribute: 8 of 24 from the field – 10:26 PM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Unless this game gets to overtime, Pascal Siakam is going to be under 40 minutes in a Game 7 where he didn’t have a foul until there were less than six minutes left to play and Tyrese Haliburton was ruled out in the first quarter. – 10:26 PM
Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
25 points, 12 assists in Game 7 of the NBA Finals:
— Jerry West
— Walt Frazier
— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – 10:22 PM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Not only was the Bennedict Mathurin steal the first Oklahoma City turnover of the second half, but it was also Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s first turnover of the game.
Gilgeous-Alexander had a career-worst eight turnovers in Game 6. – 10:19 PM
Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
SGA is spraying the ball all around the court and finding the open man every play during this run. – 10:15 PM
Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
8:27 left in the game, and SGA is sitting on zero turnovers. Masterful control over a game on a night when his team needed him most. AK – 10:15 PM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a new postseason career high 12 assists, and that also ties his best from the regular season with 8:27 left to play.
It’s the most assists in a Finals Game 7 since 1988. – 10:14 PM
Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
SGA finds JDub for a 3.
OKC opens the 4th quarter on an 8-0 run.
Thunder up 89-68.
8:27 to go. – 10:12 PM
Tony Jones @Tjonesonthenba
MVP level performance from SGA tonight. He’s been special – 10:12 PM
Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwill
Indy coming apart now, ever-so-slightly. The OKC lead is 16. SGA and the defense put their stamp on this in the third – 10:07 PM
Chris Mannix @SIChrisMannix
Every time SGA sees Nesmith, he goes to the step back three. – 10:04 PM
Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
SGA hits a stepback 3 to open the 4th quarter.
Loud City going bonkers.
Thunder up 84-68.
11:05 to go. – 10:04 PM
Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nails a step-back triple to push the lead to 84-68. He has 25 points. – 10:04 PM
StatMuse @statmuse
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the first guard since Walt Frazier (1970) to record
20+ PTS
5+ REB
10+ AST
in a Finals Game 7. pic.x.com/DylXKbqVes10:03 PM

Trey Kerby @treykerby
SGA does not have the right kind of release for halfcourt shots. – 10:00 PM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Rare timeout inside of a minute before the fourth quarter by Mark Daigneault. I like to call those timeouts “quality control” timeouts. Get Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in there for a 2-for-1 while leading by double digits. The Pacers sprint is about to be upon us. – 9:58 PM
Zach Kram @zachkram
Players with 20 points and 10 assists in a Finals Game 7:
Jerry West in 1969 (won MVP even in a loss)
Walt Frazier in 1970
Big Game James Worthy in 1988
LeBron James in 2016
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tonight – 9:47 PM
Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
Really hard w/out Haliburton for Indiana to stop the typical OKC defense-to-offense avalanches. Hali is so good at dictating the tempo, controlling the ball, not turning it over, understanding the situation. Has been great at stopping those before they roll too far down the hill – 9:44 PM
Chris Mannix @SIChrisMannix
SGA managing the game brilliantly. 19 points, nine assists. Back-to-back assists for threes to Holmgren, J-Williams. Nine point lead for the Thunder in the third. – 9:43 PM
Vivek Jacob @vivekmjacob
Three straight triples from SGA, Chet, JDub feels ominous for the Pacers – 9:42 PM
Zach Kram @zachkram
– SGA stepback 3
– SGA kickout to Chet for 3
– SGA kickout to J-Dub for 3
The platonic ideal of an offensive sequence for the Thunder, turning a tie game into a 9-point lead – 9:42 PM
Kellan Olson @KellanOlson
That’s a grown man MVP start to the second half from SGA. – 9:42 PM
Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwill
And here come the turnovers…
MVP stretch from SGA after the game tied at 56.
Triple.
Assist to Chet on a triple
Assist to Jalen on a triple.
65-56 – 9:41 PM
Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
Back to back to back 3s from OKC’s Big 3.
SGA 3
Chet 3
JDub 3
Thunder has their biggest lead of the game.
65-56. – 9:41 PM
Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
GREAT move by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and kick out to Jalen Williams, who gets the shooters roll. OKC forces Indiana into another timeout with a 65-56 lead. – 9:41 PM
Marcus Thompson @ThompsonScribe
What a dime, Shai – 9:40 PM
Peter Vecsey @PeterVecsey1
Anal spitting out stats and stuttering banalities. Myers hates to see a star player get hurt. Girth doesn’t blame Haliburton for wanting to play in Game 7. Malika’s needle is stuck on “who’s gonna step up?” Help us, Rhonda!! – 9:25 PM
Joe Vardon @joevardon
Gutting development: Tyrese Haliburton suffers lower right leg injury during first quarter of NBA Finals Game 7 that looked very, very bad ⁦@TheAthleticNBA⁩ nytimes.com/athletic/64443…8:59 PM
Scott Agness @ScottAgness
If Haliburton’s injury is confirmed to be a torn Achilles tendon, the Pacers had a player suffer one:
1) in Game 1 (James Wiseman)
2) 10 days later (Isaiah Jackson)
3) in their final game of the season (Haliburton)
The worst injury. – 8:56 PM
Jeff Stotts @InStreetClothes
If Haliburton did indeed tear his Achilles, that would be the 8th Achilles tear of the season. The previous high was 5 (14-15). The total doesn’t include Thanasis Antetokounmpo who tore his in the offseason or prospect Jalon Moore who was injured in a recent pre-draft workout. – 8:54 PM
Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwill
Tyrese Haliburton has been ruled out of the game tonight by the Pacers – 8:53 PM
Lang Whitaker @langwhitaker
SGA somehow keeps getting open to shoot pic.x.com/FApmq1EKWE8:52 PM
Bobby Manning @RealBobManning
Indy has put a lot of pressure on SGA to maintain his scoring level & he’s come through, increasing it. – 8:52 PM
Fred Katz @FredKatz
Tyrese Haliburton is officially out for the game, the Pacers say. Team is calling it a right lower leg injury. – 8:51 PM
Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Cason Wallace has been huge getting steals in this one, OKC capitalizes this time with an SGA middy at the elbow, timeout Indiana. – 8:50 PM
Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto
Tyrese Haliburton (right lower leg injury) has been ruled out for the rest of Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Pacers say. pic.x.com/WH1Ib6sAFl8:49 PM

Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
Tyrese Haliburton (right lower leg) will not return to the game tonight/ – 8:49 PM
Chuck Swirsky @ctsbulls
If Haliburton has suffered an Achilles injury he joins Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum with similar injuries – all occuring in the post season. Each player wears the number 0 – 8:47 PM
Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
ESPN, I’m good without the repeated viewings of the Haliburton injury at this point. Got it up until the end of the 1Q. But I don’t need him slamming the ground with his hand 45 times the rest of the game. – 8:47 PM
Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
Pacers, as you would expect, have ruled Haliburton out. – 8:47 PM
Chuck Swirsky @ctsbulls
Pacers: Lower right leg injury for Haliburton. – 8:47 PM
Melissa Rohlin @melissarohlin
It’s official. Tyrese Haliburton has a “lower leg injury” and won’t return. – 8:46 PM
Scott Agness @ScottAgness
Haliburton officially ruled out for the game, per Lisa Salters. – 8:46 PM
Micah Adams @MAdamsStatGuy
The Pacers are still going to play like Tyrese Haliburton is out there.
That’s as much on Rick Carlisle as it is on Hali.
But this team 100% buys into everything their best player does. – 8:45 PM
Fred Katz @FredKatz
Big moments coming up not just for TJ McConnell, who is of course gonna have to step in for Haliburton, but also Andrew Nembhard. Nembhard a really good pick-and-roll ball handler, consistently makes the right passes and has had ginormous moments in Game 7s before. – 8:44 PM
Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton forced to leave Game 7 with apparent serious lower leg injury
This is hard to see and makes me just sick.
nbcsports.com/nba/news/pacer…8:41 PM
Michael Grange @michaelgrange
25-22 for OKC … SGA with 4 asists. Siakam strong to start with 7. Haliburton was cooking before injury (3/4 from three). – 8:39 PM
Danny Cunningham @RealDCunningham
Feel awful for Haliburton. Heartbreaking on every level. In no stage other than The Finals would he be near the floor and this happens. Just terrible. – 8:37 PM
Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
Thunder up 25-22 after the 1st quarter.
SGA: 8 PTS/4 AST/1 BLK
Caruso: 6 PTS/2-4 3PT/2 STL
Chet: 5 PTS/4 REB/1 BLK
JDub: 4 PTS/1 BLK – 8:36 PM
Melissa Rohlin @melissarohlin
The pundits who said Tyrese Haliburton had to play through a calf strain, implying if he didn’t he was weak, are what’s wrong with sports. We all know what this kind of injury can lead to… – 8:36 PM
Dave McMenamin @mcten
Just a brutal thing for Tyrese Haliburton to go through in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The ecstasy and the agony of sports. pic.x.com/4I1hfqOKeT8:33 PM

Kevin O’Connor @KevinOConnorNBA
This game isn’t over. The Pacers have so many guys that can step up in Haliburton’s absence. This could inspire them. – 8:29 PM
Kevin O’Connor @KevinOConnorNBA
I’m so sick for Haliburton. This is so horrible. He knew what it was right away. He has the heart of a champion going out there to fight for his teammates. And he was so amazing to start Game 7. Damn it man. – 8:27 PM
Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
Win or lose, Tyrese Haliburton will forever be a Pacers legend for literally putting his body on the line. – 8:27 PM
Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
Tyrese Haliburton has hit 3 early 3s. All of them reallll deep. – 8:16 PM
Chris Mannix @SIChrisMannix
Tyrese Haliburton is not messing around #NBAFinals8:16 PM
Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwill
Haliburton with three long triples. Wow.
14-10, Pacers – 8:16 PM
Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Tyrese Haliburton is raining in triples this time from dang near the logo. Timeout OKC down 4. – 8:16 PM
Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Aaron Nesmith just picked up his second foul with 7:21 to go in the frame. Alex Caruso checks in to take off Chet Holmgren. SGA goes perfect at the line. – 8:15 PM
Scott Agness @ScottAgness
Pacers start 3/4 from distance, including b2b triples from Haliburton. That’s a great sign.
However, Nesmith picks up his second foul with 7:21 left in the 1st, so he’s replaced by Mathurin. – 8:15 PM
Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
Haliburton just hit one from Tahlequah. 11-6 Pacers. – 8:13 PM
Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has the first 4 points, added a block to his stat sheet and Chet Holmgren hits a turn around middy to give OKC a lead. – 8:12 PM
Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
If you don’t have chills right now, you hate basketball. What a bucket by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a pop from this crowd. – 8:10 PM
NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
“Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is going to say ‘do you remember who the hell I am? Give me the rock, and I’m going to take you there.’”
@stephenasmith and the crew all pick the Thunder to win Game 7 and the NBA championship 🏆 pic.x.com/oaKxnwjelz8:04 PM

Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
I’ve been struck thinking about how many notable teams of this era are represented on this Pacers core.
Process Sixers through TJ.
Thibs Knicks through Obi.
“Everyone is 6-8” Raptors through Siakam.
Tatum/Brown Celtics through Nesmith.
Kangz through Haliburton. – 7:34 PM
Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
Thunder starters vs Pacers
SGA
Dort
JDub
Chet
Hartenstein
NBA Finals
Game 7 – 7:32 PM
Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Thunder Starters vs. Pacers Game 7:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Lu Dort
Jalen Williams
Chet Holmgren
Isaiah Hartenstein – 7:31 PM
Scott Agness @ScottAgness
Haliburton stops to sign for some of the hundreds of Pacers fans already here pic.x.com/Z2R4g6aa3B6:54 PM

Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
Pacers 111, Thunder 107.
Thunder lead by six at halftime. Game turns on a hot T.J. McConnell stretch end of third quarter/early fourth. Haliburton seals the game at the line. Siakam wins MVP with a 24-11-4 night.
Excited to find out all of the ways I’ll be wrong. – 6:53 PM
NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
Tyrese Haliburton still has a sleeve on his calf for Game 7 👀
#NBAFinals Game 7 | 8 ET on ABC/ESPN+ 🏆🍿 pic.x.com/JLkVDKfR2g6:47 PM

Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
“[Chet Holmgren] is the most important because Shai and Jalen have been so consistent”
Chet Holmgren: OKC’s Game 7 X-Factor? @Rjeff24 explained why to @TermineRadio & @JumpShot8 #ThunderUp #NBAFinals
Hear Game 7 tonight at 8 PM ET on NBA Radio sxm.app.link/nbaradiolive pic.x.com/VmNggTGYLr6:30 PM

Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
SGA makes his Game 7 entrance.
Title tip off in 2 hours.
(@espn)
pic.x.com/qMEotfDAOh6:09 PM

Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwill
New for ⁦@YahooSports⁩: Game 7’s are always close, always dramatic and always have long lasting implications. The last one sent ripples through the NBA
“I think that especially for people around my age, that is the peak Game 7”- Tyrese Haliburton sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/pa…2:43 PM
Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
“People were asking, would you have risked [playing with an injury for a chance to win a title?]
@Rjeff2 talks with @TermineRadio & @JumpShot8 about Tyrese Haliburton playing through a calf strain
We’re getting you ready for Game 7 throughout the day sxm.app.link/nbaradiolive pic.x.com/mn1SZSUgDE9:30 AM

Henry Abbott @TrueHoop
Andrew Nembhard guarded Shai full court, and it tilted Game 1 to the Pacers.
By Game 5, though, with Tyrese injured and more work on O, it was Nembhard getting gassed.
In Game 6, Nembhard played halfcourt D. Totally worked.
So: what to do in Game 7?
truehoop.com/p/game-7-o-rama5:43 AM

More on this storyline

Victor Oladipo: In the Finals? So we just going keep playing right? Like its okay right? Like it ain’t happen huh? Like this is just part of it right?But what would this play off run be without Hali? What about Dame what about JT and so many others. I bet we will just blame it on the moment though lol and Hey he got millions right so he will be alright huh? So what truly matters? The Athlete 🤔?. It’s all good though. I promise you im going to be a part of this change. It doesn’t have to be a norm or just part of the game anymore in any sport. We can and will protect the players better. Yall enjoy the rest of the game though. Rest up Hali bro this will make you stronger. -via x.com / June 23, 2025





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