Sawt Falasteen - Pacers guard Haliburton will miss entire '25-26 NBA season

Haliburton was playing with a right calf strain when he went down in the first quarter of Indiana's 103-91 loss to Oklahoma City in the title-deciding contest.

"I have no doubt that he will be back better than ever," Pritchard said. "He will not play next year though. We would not jeopardize that now. Don't get any hopes up that he will play."

Haliburton sparked the Pacers to their first NBA Finals since 2000, averaging 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals a game.

"He plays best when he is really hungry and I'm guessing next year, he's going to be champing at the bit to prove to everybody that he's back," Pritchard said.

"We're just going to have to take it slow and make sure he's back to 100 per cent. I expect great things and him being an-All NBA player -- we witnessed something with clutch shotmaking that I've never seen in the NBA."

That included a game-winning basket at the buzzer to beat Oklahoma City in the finals' opener.

Pritchard said the Pacers haven't given up on being an NBA contender but realize they will lack something special until Haliburton returns from June 23 surgery.

"We were 24 minutes and an injury away," Pritchard said. "We have some challenges with Ty's injury but we like what we have.

"We'll have some guys that hopefully will have some opportunities and when he gets back, it'll be the cherry on top, I guess."

Haliburton's rehabilitation is off to a strong start, Pritchard said.

"He has been doing great," Pritchard said. "He's doing good, but the real work starts now in terms of rehab and it's tough."

Haliburton has said he would take the chance again and play in the winner-take-all last game of the NBA Finals despite suffering the injury, but Pritchard said he didn't feel the same.

"Would I have him do it over and over? I would not," Pritchard said. "If I knew he was going to get hurt, I would sacrifice that game because I care for the kid so much."

The Pacers have also lost another key member of their run to the finals as center Myles Turner signed a four-year free agent deal with Milwaukee.

I.Matar--SF-PST