Emotional Haliburton leads Pacers' gritty win in long-awaited return from Achilles tear — SkimNews
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- Tyrese Haliburton scored 16 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and dished out 12 assists in 33 minutes, marking his first NBA game since tearing his right Achilles on June 22, 2025.
- Indiana Pacers held off the New Orleans Pelicans 123-120 in their season opener, a turnaround performance after finishing 19-63 last season without Haliburton.
- Pascal Siakam scored a game-high 30 points and praised Haliburton’s return, noting his conditioning already fits the team’s pace despite the long layoff.
- Rick Carlisle confirmed Haliburton played over 30 minutes for the first time in 16½ months, calling his performance 'extremely well' for a comeback game.
- Dejounte Murray was cited by Haliburton as his key NBA mentor during recovery from a similar Achilles injury, with Haliburton even asking him in-game for conditioning advice.
- Haliburton’s family and inner circle, including his wife Jade, parents, agent Aaron Mintz, and shooting coach Drew Hanlen, flew in on a private plane to support him in New Orleans.
Why it matters: The Pacers went from Eastern Conference champions to the league’s second-worst record last season without Haliburton; his return at full star capacity immediately restores their competitiveness and alters the Eastern Conference landscape for the 2025-26 season.
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