Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers set to play NBA preseason game at Hilton Coliseum
AMES, Iowa —
The NBA is bringing a preseason game to Hilton Coliseum for the first time in nearly a decade, and a couple of Cyclone favorites could be on the court.
The Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves will play at 6 p.m. Oct. 7 at Hilton Coliseum.
The Pacers have been led in recent years by Tyrese Haliburton, a former Iowa State point guard who still owns the school record for assists in one game. Haliburton has become a superstar in the pros, earning All-NBA honors in both 2023-24 and 2024-25, winning a gold medal in the 2024 Olympics and leading his team to the NBA Finals in 2025. He led the NBA in assists per game in 2023-24.
Haliburton missed the 2025-26 season with an Achilles injury he sustained in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
This will be the first NBA preseason game in Ames since 2018. That game pitted the Timberwolves against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks won, 125-107, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 21 points.
Tickets will be on sale starting Sept. 9.
Iowa State honors former Cyclone Tyrese Haliburton at Hilton Coliseum
Tamin Lipsey’s return?
Fellow former Cyclone point guard Tamin Lipsey could also be part of this exhibition game.
Lipsey, an Ames native, went undrafted in 2026 after completing his career at Iowa State. He played with the Pacers in last month’s NBA Summer League before an injury prematurely ended his summer.
Lipsey could be back in time to compete for a roster spot during the preseason.
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