Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL and is a constant threat to take the Kansas City Chiefs to the Super Bowl and win it on an every-year basis. But when the NFL is in the offseason, Mahomes is one of the most devoted sports fans in the country. Mahomes is focused on the NBA Finals, and he was shocked and broken-hearted when Indiana Pacers superstar and leader Tyrese Haliburton went down with a lower leg injury in the first quarter.
Patrick Mahomes offered his reaction on X, and it was similar to basketball fans from coast to coast. “No way man….”
The reaction indicated that Mahomes knew the underdog Pacers were up against it. He was almost certainly asking himself the question of how the Pacers could compete for 48 minutes on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder without Haliburton.
The superstar was on the court pounding the floor with his fists after he started to drive to the hoop but his injured leg gave out and prevented him from continuing. A report late in the first half indicated that Haliburton’s father said the problem was an Achilles injury.
Pacers take one-point lead into locker room at halftime
Article Continues BelowHaliburton appeared to be ready for the seventh game as he scored 9 points in the first seven minutes of the game, making 3 of 4 shots from beyond the arc.
The Pacers were in a brutal position without their best player, but there was no give-up without him. Head coach Rick Carlisle’s team contested every Oklahoma City possession and looking to Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard for scoring throughout the rest of the first half.
Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was playing at near peak efficiency, but his Thunder teammates were not able to match his first-half intensity.
Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including “Who’s Better, Who’s Best in the NFL.”
