'Finding that magic again': Tyrese Haliburton and Pacers return to expectations

Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers jersey began to sweat almost immediately as the two-time All-Star guard finally returned to an NBA game. For 16 months, Haliburton had waited on the sideline after tearing his right Achilles during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. On Oct. 7, he made his first appearance in the Pacers' preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a moment that also served as a homecoming at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, his alma mater.

Haliburton's return was brief but meaningful. He played his first seven minutes of action in the first quarter, and he celebrated with a crossover into a 15-foot jumper for his first basket in more than a year. He finished with seven points and six assists in the Pacers' 123-112 win. "I was tired as hell," Haliburton said with a laugh after the game. "But even through that, I just kept feeling like, 'Man, I'm playing again.'"

The Pacers' path back to contention depends on Haliburton's health and performance. Last season, he delivered one of the greatest clutch postseason runs in NBA history, with a game-tying or winning shot in each of the four rounds of the 2025 playoffs. Indiana led Game 7 in Oklahoma City before his injury, and the Thunder went on to win. While Haliburton recovered, the Pacers managed just 19 wins during the 2025-26 season.

Indiana now enters the 2026-27 season as one of the league's most perplexing teams. Despite reaching the conference finals in both 2024 and 2025, the Pacers are projected to win a modest 42 games and rank 10th in the Eastern Conference, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Haliburton shrugged off the outside doubt. "Our goal is to win a championship," he said. "That has never wavered."

Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers jersey began to sweat almost immediately as the two-time All-Star guard finally returned to an NBA game. For 16 months, Haliburton had waited on the sideline after tearing his right Achilles during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. On Oct. 7, he made his first appearance in the Pacers' preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a moment that also served as a homecoming at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, his alma mater.

Haliburton's return was brief but meaningful. He played his first seven minutes of action in the first quarter, and he celebrated with a crossover into a 15-foot jumper for his first basket in more than a year. He finished with seven points and six assists in the Pacers' 123-112 win. "I was tired as hell," Haliburton said with a laugh after the game. "But even through that, I just kept feeling like, 'Man, I'm playing again.'"

The Pacers' path back to contention depends on Haliburton's health and performance. Last season, he delivered one of the greatest clutch postseason runs in NBA history, with a game-tying or winning shot in each of the four rounds of the 2025 playoffs. Indiana led Game 7 in Oklahoma City before his injury, and the Thunder went on to win. While Haliburton recovered, the Pacers managed just 19 wins during the 2025-26 season.

Indiana now enters the 2026-27 season as one of the league's most perplexing teams. Despite reaching the conference finals in both 2024 and 2025, the Pacers are projected to win a modest 42 games and rank 10th in the Eastern Conference, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Haliburton shrugged off the outside doubt. "Our goal is to win a championship," he said. "That has never wavered."

Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers jersey began to sweat almost immediately as the two-time All-Star guard finally returned to an NBA game. For 16 months, Haliburton had waited on the sideline after tearing his right Achilles during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. On Oct. 7, he made his first appearance in the Pacers' preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a moment that also served as a homecoming at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, his alma mater.

Haliburton's return was brief but meaningful. He played his first seven minutes of action in the first quarter, and he celebrated with a crossover into a 15-foot jumper for his first basket in more than a year. He finished with seven points and six assists in the Pacers' 123-112 win. "I was tired as hell," Haliburton said with a laugh after the game. "But even through that, I just kept feeling like, 'Man, I'm playing again.'"

The Pacers' path back to contention depends on Haliburton's health and performance. Last season, he delivered one of the greatest clutch postseason runs in NBA history, with a game-tying or winning shot in each of the four rounds of the 2025 playoffs. Indiana led Game 7 in Oklahoma City before his injury, and the Thunder went on to win. While Haliburton recovered, the Pacers managed just 19 wins during the 2025-26 season.

Indiana now enters the 2026-27 season as one of the league's most perplexing teams. Despite reaching the conference finals in both 2024 and 2025, the Pacers are projected to win a modest 42 games and rank 10th in the Eastern Conference, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Haliburton shrugged off the outside doubt. "Our goal is to win a championship," he said. "That has never wavered."

Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers jersey began to sweat almost immediately as the two-time All-Star guard finally returned to an NBA game. For 16 months, Haliburton had waited on the sideline after tearing his right Achilles during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. On Oct. 7, he made his first appearance in the Pacers' preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a moment that also served as a homecoming at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, his alma mater.

Haliburton's return was brief but meaningful. He played his first seven minutes of action in the first quarter, and he celebrated with a crossover into a 15-foot jumper for his first basket in more than a year. He finished with seven points and six assists in the Pacers' 123-112 win. "I was tired as hell," Haliburton said with a laugh after the game. "But even through that, I just kept feeling like, 'Man, I'm playing again.'"

The Pacers' path back to contention depends on Haliburton's health and performance. Last season, he delivered one of the greatest clutch postseason runs in NBA history, with a game-tying or winning shot in each of the four rounds of the 2025 playoffs. Indiana led Game 7 in Oklahoma City before his injury, and the Thunder went on to win. While Haliburton recovered, the Pacers managed just 19 wins during the 2025-26 season.

Indiana now enters the 2026-27 season as one of the league's most perplexing teams. Despite reaching the conference finals in both 2024 and 2025, the Pacers are projected to win a modest 42 games and rank 10th in the Eastern Conference, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Haliburton shrugged off the outside doubt. "Our goal is to win a championship," he said. "That has never wavered."

La camiseta de Tyrese Haliburton con los Indiana Pacers empezó a sudar casi de inmediato cuando el base, dos veces All-Star, volvió por fin a un partido de la NBA. Durante 16 meses, Haliburton esperó desde la banca tras romperse el tendón de Aquiles derecho en el Juego 7 de las Finales de la NBA de 2025. El 7 de octubre hizo su primera aparición en el partido de pretemporada de los Pacers contra los Minnesota Timberwolves, un momento que también fue un regreso a casa en la Universidad Estatal de Iowa, en Ames, Iowa, su alma mater.

El regreso de Haliburton fue breve pero significativo. Jugó sus primeros siete minutos en el primer cuarto y celebró con un cambio de ritmo seguido de un tiro de 15 pies, su primera canasta en más de un año. Terminó con siete puntos y seis asistencias en la victoria de los Pacers por 123-112. "Estaba cansadísimo", dijo Haliburton entre risas después del partido. "Pero incluso así, seguía pensando: 'Vaya, estoy jugando otra vez'".

El camino de los Pacers de vuelta a la contienda depende de la salud y el rendimiento de Haliburton. La temporada pasada, protagonizó una de las mejores rachas decisivas en los playoffs de la historia de la NBA, con un tiro que empató o dio la victoria en cada una de las cuatro rondas de los playoffs de 2025. Indiana tenía la ventaja en el Juego 7 en Oklahoma City antes de su lesión, y los Thunder terminaron ganando. Mientras Haliburton se recuperaba, los Pacers apenas consiguieron 19 victorias en la temporada 2025-26.

Indiana entra ahora en la temporada 2026-27 como uno de los equipos más desconcertantes de la liga. A pesar de haber llegado a las finales de conferencia en 2024 y 2025, se prevé que los Pacers ganen un modesto 42 partidos y terminen décimos en la Conferencia Este, según el Basketball Power Index de ESPN. Haliburton restó importancia a las dudas externas. "Nuestro objetivo es ganar un campeonato", afirmó. "Eso nunca ha cambiado".

Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers jersey began to sweat almost immediately as the two-time All-Star guard finally returned to an NBA game. For 16 months, Haliburton had waited on the sideline after tearing his right Achilles during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. On Oct. 7, he made his first appearance in the Pacers' preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a moment that also served as a homecoming at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, his alma mater.

Haliburton's return was brief but meaningful. He played his first seven minutes of action in the first quarter, and he celebrated with a crossover into a 15-foot jumper for his first basket in more than a year. He finished with seven points and six assists in the Pacers' 123-112 win. "I was tired as hell," Haliburton said with a laugh after the game. "But even through that, I just kept feeling like, 'Man, I'm playing again.'"

The Pacers' path back to contention depends on Haliburton's health and performance. Last season, he delivered one of the greatest clutch postseason runs in NBA history, with a game-tying or winning shot in each of the four rounds of the 2025 playoffs. Indiana led Game 7 in Oklahoma City before his injury, and the Thunder went on to win. While Haliburton recovered, the Pacers managed just 19 wins during the 2025-26 season.

Indiana now enters the 2026-27 season as one of the league's most perplexing teams. Despite reaching the conference finals in both 2024 and 2025, the Pacers are projected to win a modest 42 games and rank 10th in the Eastern Conference, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Haliburton shrugged off the outside doubt. "Our goal is to win a championship," he said. "That has never wavered."

Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers jersey began to sweat almost immediately as the two-time All-Star guard finally returned to an NBA game. For 16 months, Haliburton had waited on the sideline after tearing his right Achilles during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. On Oct. 7, he made his first appearance in the Pacers' preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a moment that also served as a homecoming at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, his alma mater.

Haliburton's return was brief but meaningful. He played his first seven minutes of action in the first quarter, and he celebrated with a crossover into a 15-foot jumper for his first basket in more than a year. He finished with seven points and six assists in the Pacers' 123-112 win. "I was tired as hell," Haliburton said with a laugh after the game. "But even through that, I just kept feeling like, 'Man, I'm playing again.'"

The Pacers' path back to contention depends on Haliburton's health and performance. Last season, he delivered one of the greatest clutch postseason runs in NBA history, with a game-tying or winning shot in each of the four rounds of the 2025 playoffs. Indiana led Game 7 in Oklahoma City before his injury, and the Thunder went on to win. While Haliburton recovered, the Pacers managed just 19 wins during the 2025-26 season.

Indiana now enters the 2026-27 season as one of the league's most perplexing teams. Despite reaching the conference finals in both 2024 and 2025, the Pacers are projected to win a modest 42 games and rank 10th in the Eastern Conference, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Haliburton shrugged off the outside doubt. "Our goal is to win a championship," he said. "That has never wavered."

Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers jersey began to sweat almost immediately as the two-time All-Star guard finally returned to an NBA game. For 16 months, Haliburton had waited on the sideline after tearing his right Achilles during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. On Oct. 7, he made his first appearance in the Pacers' preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a moment that also served as a homecoming at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, his alma mater.

Haliburton's return was brief but meaningful. He played his first seven minutes of action in the first quarter, and he celebrated with a crossover into a 15-foot jumper for his first basket in more than a year. He finished with seven points and six assists in the Pacers' 123-112 win. "I was tired as hell," Haliburton said with a laugh after the game. "But even through that, I just kept feeling like, 'Man, I'm playing again.'"

The Pacers' path back to contention depends on Haliburton's health and performance. Last season, he delivered one of the greatest clutch postseason runs in NBA history, with a game-tying or winning shot in each of the four rounds of the 2025 playoffs. Indiana led Game 7 in Oklahoma City before his injury, and the Thunder went on to win. While Haliburton recovered, the Pacers managed just 19 wins during the 2025-26 season.

Indiana now enters the 2026-27 season as one of the league's most perplexing teams. Despite reaching the conference finals in both 2024 and 2025, the Pacers are projected to win a modest 42 games and rank 10th in the Eastern Conference, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Haliburton shrugged off the outside doubt. "Our goal is to win a championship," he said. "That has never wavered."

Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers jersey began to sweat almost immediately as the two-time All-Star guard finally returned to an NBA game. For 16 months, Haliburton had waited on the sideline after tearing his right Achilles during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. On Oct. 7, he made his first appearance in the Pacers' preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a moment that also served as a homecoming at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, his alma mater.

Haliburton's return was brief but meaningful. He played his first seven minutes of action in the first quarter, and he celebrated with a crossover into a 15-foot jumper for his first basket in more than a year. He finished with seven points and six assists in the Pacers' 123-112 win. "I was tired as hell," Haliburton said with a laugh after the game. "But even through that, I just kept feeling like, 'Man, I'm playing again.'"

The Pacers' path back to contention depends on Haliburton's health and performance. Last season, he delivered one of the greatest clutch postseason runs in NBA history, with a game-tying or winning shot in each of the four rounds of the 2025 playoffs. Indiana led Game 7 in Oklahoma City before his injury, and the Thunder went on to win. While Haliburton recovered, the Pacers managed just 19 wins during the 2025-26 season.

Indiana now enters the 2026-27 season as one of the league's most perplexing teams. Despite reaching the conference finals in both 2024 and 2025, the Pacers are projected to win a modest 42 games and rank 10th in the Eastern Conference, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Haliburton shrugged off the outside doubt. "Our goal is to win a championship," he said. "That has never wavered."

Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers jersey began to sweat almost immediately as the two-time All-Star guard finally returned to an NBA game. For 16 months, Haliburton had waited on the sideline after tearing his right Achilles during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. On Oct. 7, he made his first appearance in the Pacers' preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a moment that also served as a homecoming at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, his alma mater.

Haliburton's return was brief but meaningful. He played his first seven minutes of action in the first quarter, and he celebrated with a crossover into a 15-foot jumper for his first basket in more than a year. He finished with seven points and six assists in the Pacers' 123-112 win. "I was tired as hell," Haliburton said with a laugh after the game. "But even through that, I just kept feeling like, 'Man, I'm playing again.'"

The Pacers' path back to contention depends on Haliburton's health and performance. Last season, he delivered one of the greatest clutch postseason runs in NBA history, with a game-tying or winning shot in each of the four rounds of the 2025 playoffs. Indiana led Game 7 in Oklahoma City before his injury, and the Thunder went on to win. While Haliburton recovered, the Pacers managed just 19 wins during the 2025-26 season.

Indiana now enters the 2026-27 season as one of the league's most perplexing teams. Despite reaching the conference finals in both 2024 and 2025, the Pacers are projected to win a modest 42 games and rank 10th in the Eastern Conference, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Haliburton shrugged off the outside doubt. "Our goal is to win a championship," he said. "That has never wavered."

Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers jersey began to sweat almost immediately as the two-time All-Star guard finally returned to an NBA game. For 16 months, Haliburton had waited on the sideline after tearing his right Achilles during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. On Oct. 7, he made his first appearance in the Pacers' preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a moment that also served as a homecoming at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, his alma mater.

Haliburton's return was brief but meaningful. He played his first seven minutes of action in the first quarter, and he celebrated with a crossover into a 15-foot jumper for his first basket in more than a year. He finished with seven points and six assists in the Pacers' 123-112 win. "I was tired as hell," Haliburton said with a laugh after the game. "But even through that, I just kept feeling like, 'Man, I'm playing again.'"

The Pacers' path back to contention depends on Haliburton's health and performance. Last season, he delivered one of the greatest clutch postseason runs in NBA history, with a game-tying or winning shot in each of the four rounds of the 2025 playoffs. Indiana led Game 7 in Oklahoma City before his injury, and the Thunder went on to win. While Haliburton recovered, the Pacers managed just 19 wins during the 2025-26 season.

Indiana now enters the 2026-27 season as one of the league's most perplexing teams. Despite reaching the conference finals in both 2024 and 2025, the Pacers are projected to win a modest 42 games and rank 10th in the Eastern Conference, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Haliburton shrugged off the outside doubt. "Our goal is to win a championship," he said. "That has never wavered."

Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers jersey began to sweat almost immediately as the two-time All-Star guard finally returned to an NBA game. For 16 months, Haliburton had waited on the sideline after tearing his right Achilles during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. On Oct. 7, he made his first appearance in the Pacers' preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a moment that also served as a homecoming at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, his alma mater.

Haliburton's return was brief but meaningful. He played his first seven minutes of action in the first quarter, and he celebrated with a crossover into a 15-foot jumper for his first basket in more than a year. He finished with seven points and six assists in the Pacers' 123-112 win. "I was tired as hell," Haliburton said with a laugh after the game. "But even through that, I just kept feeling like, 'Man, I'm playing again.'"

The Pacers' path back to contention depends on Haliburton's health and performance. Last season, he delivered one of the greatest clutch postseason runs in NBA history, with a game-tying or winning shot in each of the four rounds of the 2025 playoffs. Indiana led Game 7 in Oklahoma City before his injury, and the Thunder went on to win. While Haliburton recovered, the Pacers managed just 19 wins during the 2025-26 season.

Indiana now enters the 2026-27 season as one of the league's most perplexing teams. Despite reaching the conference finals in both 2024 and 2025, the Pacers are projected to win a modest 42 games and rank 10th in the Eastern Conference, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. Haliburton shrugged off the outside doubt. "Our goal is to win a championship," he said. "That has never wavered."