Tyrese Haliburton broke into tears of joy Wednesday night when he looked into the Smoothie King Center crowd and saw Pacers fans cheering his return from a torn Achilles tendon. The two-time All-Star had expected to get emotional only at the Pacers’ home opener on Friday.
Haliburton then helped Indiana hold on for a 123-120 season-opening win over the New Orleans Pelicans. “The best part was the end and that moment,” Haliburton said. “It’s been an emotional roller coaster. I’m telling you, what made me feel that way was seeing all those Pacers fans here in New Orleans. That was special.”
It was Haliburton’s first game since he tore his right Achilles in a Game 7 loss to the 2025 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on June 22, 2025. The injury-plagued Pacers fell from Eastern Conference champions to a 19-63 record last season without him.
Haliburton admitted he was gassed for much of the game, but he still produced. He scored 16 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and added 12 assists in 33 minutes. Pascal Siakam led all scorers with 30 points.
A Gradual Return
Haliburton started slowly. He made his first shot of the season on a 4-foot runner that cut the Pelicans’ early lead to 10-8. He scored seven points in the first quarter, went scoreless in the second, and finished the first half with seven points on 3-of-8 shooting. He also went scoreless in the third quarter.
Zion Williamson dominated the first half with 15 of his 22 points, including a halftime buzzer-beating 3 that put Indiana behind 66-56.
Haliburton regained his rhythm in the fourth quarter. He drew a foul on a dunk with 9:31 left, then added a three-point play that cut New Orleans’ lead to 101-98. A hockey assist from Haliburton set up an Ivica Zubac alley-oop that trimmed the deficit to 101-100.
Moments later, Haliburton appeared to taunt Pelicans big man Derik Queen, and both teams engaged in trash talk. Officials assessed Haliburton a technical foul after review. “I didn’t say anything,” Haliburton said with a smile. “I want my money back for that technical.”
Finishing the Job
Indiana regained the lead at 106-104 on a layup from Andrew Nembhard with 5:38 remaining. Haliburton and Siakam returned with 4:14 left, just as Williamson made two free throws to tie the score. Haliburton then scored a running lay-in with two minutes left to put the Pacers ahead 118-116, and another three-point play made it 121-118 with 1:23 to play.
With about 20 seconds left, Nembhard declined to pass to Haliburton for a possible game-sealing shot. About six seconds later, Nembhard traveled, giving the Pelicans late hope. New Orleans missed three 3-pointers in the final seconds, and the Pacers held on.
Haliburton credited Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray, who tore his right Achilles on Jan. 31, 2025, as his biggest NBA mentor during recovery. Haliburton even asked Murray during the game about the keys to getting in better shape after an Achilles tear.
“It’s Game 1,” Haliburton said. “What we appreciate about it is putting film on the coaches’ computers for us to watch. I will be thankful for that and prepare for Friday against Dallas.”
Family and Friends in the Stands
Haliburton’s support system filled the arena. His wife, Jade, whom he married this past offseason, hugged her emotional husband after the game. His parents, John and Brenda Haliburton, and his two brothers attended, along with his agent, Aaron Mintz, shooting coach Drew Hanlen, marketing representative Kristina Kozica, and other friends.
“My people flew out here. I think there was 12 people on the [private] plane,” Haliburton said. “My best friend, my brothers. My parents. My wife. My trainer. Mostly everybody. I think it was important for everybody to be there and they wanted to be there for me. It just means a lot.”