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Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton moved to tears following first game back from Achilles tear
Confirmed
In Short: Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton returned to the court for the first time in nearly 16 months, scoring 23 points and 12 assists in a 123-120 win over the Pelicans.
Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton returned to the court for the first time in nearly 16 months, scoring 23 points and 12 assists in a 123-120 win over the Pelicans on Wednesday night.
Haliburton, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon during Game 7 of the NBA Finals two years ago, had reconstructive surgery on June 23, 2025, and missed the entire 2025-26 NBA season while recovering.
The game was a significant milestone for Haliburton, who was visibly emotional after the game, breaking down in tears as he expressed his gratitude for being back on the court.
"The thing that has made me feel most like normal was falling and our whole team not panicking," Haliburton told Andscape, referring to a moment during the game when he was accidentally knocked into the air by Zion Williamson of the Pelicans.
Haliburton's return was particularly poignant given that the rival New York Knicks won their first championship since 1973 during his absence.
It means a lot to be back out here," Haliburton said, adding, "I've thought about this a lot. I'm just really thankful to be back out here.
"It’s coming along well. We’ve got a lot to pick up. The second quarter wasn’t good, but we’re battle-tested, so we finished this game the right way. Really proud of this group," Haliburton said, reflecting on his performance.
Haliburton's career regular-season averages are 19.5 points, 10.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals on 48.2% shooting, 38.6% from three, and 85.7% from the foul line.
"But had a lot of fun, a lot of special memories I’ve made here and that just adds to it," Haliburton said, acknowledging the support of his family, friends, and the NBA community.
"Means the world to be back in the fight with my brothers. See y’all Friday, go ‘Cers," Haliburton wrote on social media after the game.
The Pacers are expected to manage Haliburton's workload carefully to start the season, given the severity of an Achilles tear for a player who relies on burst and change of direction.
What this adds
Haliburton's return was marked by a significant emotional moment, as he broke down in tears after the game.
What's confirmed
- "It means a lot to be back out here," Haliburton said.
What's still developing
- With 1:25 remaining, Haliburton had the ball at the top of the arc, crossed over left, took the contact from Zion Williamson in the paint and finished with a left-handed floater that resulted in a three-point play.
- As Jamal Collier of ESPN writes, getting back up to game speed wasn’t a concern for Haliburton vs.
- While it was an important milestone in the recovery process for Haliburton, who had seven points, six assists, and a pair of blocks in 16 minutes of action, the game was special to him for another reason.
- Start with the number the Pacers would rather forget: 19-63.
- Below, we break down Indiana Pacers odds for 2026-27, what the Zubac trade actually cost, and where the futures market gets this rebuild wrong.
- "I'm hosting all the students and we'll still have student sections, so I think that'll be fun," Haliburton told reporters in Indianapolis after practice Tuesday.
- Haliburton spent two years at Iowa State from 2018 to 2020 before being selected in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft.
- He said he wasn't sure how much time he would play in the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves but hoped he could play at least the first half.
- Haliburton said he made the suggestion years ago about hosting a potential game there, which he said was an easy sell considering Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan was born in Des Moines.
- Tyrese Haliburton Indiana Pacers Position PG Age 26 Height 196 cm Weight 84 kg Birth place Wisconsin, United States of America Profile Statistics Haliburton suffered the injury during Game 7 of the Finals after he had a great start to the game with the Oklahoma City Thunder ultimately winning the game to take the championship over Haliburton's Indiana Pacers.
- "At the same time, you know, I usually watch a Finals celebration because that's a special thing and an emotional thing to watch guys win a championship and then celebrate with their families, I'm always like 'man that's fire' but when the Knicks won I thought to myself 'I got to turn this sh*t off'."
- "It's a weird feeling cuz like are they our rivals? Yes. And like people are going to hear this and they're going to be like, 'Man, the NBA's so soft. It's not what it used to be.' Sure. But when I see them, when they see me on the court, it's smoke. We hate each other when we're playing, but after that, it's love."