Tyrese Haliburton last played in an NBA game in June 2025. Then, the star point guard of the Indiana Pacers tore his Achilles tendon after a blistering start to Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pacers lost the game, and Haliburton missed the entire 2025-2026 season.
On Wednesday night, Haliburton returned to the Pacers lineup after a long absence. It was a winning return: the Pacers beat the Pelicans in New Orleans, 123-120. The point guard shined with 23 points and 12 assists in the victory.
After the season-opening contest, a visibly emotional Tyrese Haliburton reflected on the game and what it meant to take the floor again after such a lengthy absence in a postgame interview with Jeremiah Johnson.
Tyrese Haliburton broke down during his postgame interview with Jeremiah Johnson 🥹
So good to have you back, 0 đź’™ https://t.co/w0py2seq2C
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 22, 2026
“It means a lot to be back out here,” Haliburton said, wiping tears from his eyes.
The Pacers endured a lost season without their talisman last year, winning just 19 games and finishing with the second-worst record in basketball. But with Haliburton back and healthy, and the trade for Ivica Zubac, Indiana could be a dark horse in what is now shaping up to be a very deep Eastern Conference.
Tyrese Haliburton’s injury was one of the toughest to see in recent memory, given the stakes of an NBA Finals Game 7 and how he was already trying to play through the series while hurt. He risked it all to give his team the best chance to win a championship and went to the limit. You can see how much it means to him to be back on the floor, and Haliburton and the Pacers will surely have a lot of people rooting for their success this season.