Tyrese Halliburton, despite being injured, chose to wait for his Indiana Pacers teammates as they left the court after their tough Game 7 loss to the Thunder in the NBA Finals.
He managed to play for seven minutes before sustaining an Achilles injury but still showed up for his team, giving high fives as he made his way to the locker room on crutches.
Reggie Miller, a former Pacers star, also shared a poignant moment with TJ McConnell post-game, trying to soothe the visibly upset player.
As McConnell came in from the back of the arena with tears in his eyes, Miller embraced him in a consoling hug after their 103-91 defeat.
Miller also took a moment to stop and hold Benedict Matlin as he walked by, offering support.
ESPN caught McConnell being comforted by his mother while heading toward the locker room.
Even though the Pacers didn’t clinch their first NBA title, the 2024-25 season had plenty of highlights.
This season marked the first time since 2014 that the team recorded 50 wins, and it was their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 2000.
There’s no denying that there were no moral victories, as one player noted, “I’m proud of everything we’ve achieved, but second place doesn’t come with any awards.” While emotions ran high, head coach Rick Carlisle still took the time to congratulate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
A video captured the moment Gilgeous-Alexander walked past the arena, trophy in hand, marking Oklahoma City’s first championship since the team relocated there in 2008.
