🏀 What If Haliburton Stayed Healthy? Would the Pacers Be NBA Champions?

 

The 2025 NBA Finals are officially over. The Oklahoma City Thunder are champions. But every NBA fan knows — this series could’ve ended very differently.

Let’s talk about The Big What If.

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🚑 The Haliburton Injury Changed Everything

Tyrese Haliburton was Indiana’s engine.
Not just the top scorer.
He was their floor general. Their playmaker. The brain of the offense.

     The moment Haliburton went down, Indiana lost more than a player — they lost their entire offensive rhythm. The ball movement stopped flowing. The turnovers piled up. Shot creation became a huge problem. The pressure shifted to Siakam, Mathurin and McConnell, who tried their best but simply couldn't replicate Haliburton’s unique vision and control.

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🎯 The Key Moments In Game 7

Even though Indiana led by 1 at halftime, the second half exposed the struggle. Without Haliburton:

• They lacked consistent shot creation.

• Their spacing collapsed under Thunder’s defense.

• Turnovers kept killing their momentum.

• Oklahoma controlled the pace, led by Shai’s brilliant playmaking.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 29 points and 12 assists. His calm leadership was exactly what Indiana missed once Haliburton left the court.

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🏆 If Haliburton Stayed Healthy?

Let’s be honest — this series was razor-thin close.
The Pacers pushed OKC to Game 7.
And that was with Haliburton playing hurt.

A fully healthy Haliburton could’ve shifted this series:

• His pick-and-roll dominance would have attacked Holmgren differently.

• His passing would’ve punished OKC’s aggressive help defense.

• His leadership would’ve settled Indiana’s nerves down the stretch.

Could Indiana have won?
Absolutely.

Injuries are part of the game. But we’ll always wonder:

“What if Haliburton stayed healthy?”
“Would the Pacers be holding the Larry O'Brien Trophy right now?”

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💬 What do you think?
Would Indiana have won it all with a healthy Haliburton?
Let me know in the comments 👇