Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was back in a familiar place on Tuesday. The last time he was at Paycom Center was devastating, but Haliburton is eager to shake off the stigma and create a new memory.
The Pacers looked for their second win in the preseason as they visited the Oklahoma City Thunder. The last time Haliburton played in Oklahoma City, he suffered an Achilles injury in the first quarter of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. It was an image that will forever haunt Indiana: Haliburton weeping on the floor, pounding his fist, and crumbling in disbelief.
Haliburton was playing well before he went down, draining three three-pointers in seven minutes. While the Pacers tried to hang on without him, the Thunder proved to be too much and won the championship.
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is back in OKC tonight for the first time since Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals 👀
He will be in the starting lineup.
(via @Pacers) pic.twitter.com/IBGImMN9NL
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 14, 2026
Haliburton sat out last season to recuperate. Indiana spiraled to the bottom of the team standings. Back in full health, the 26-year-old guard will try to lead the Pacers back to the playoffs.
Article Continues Below“I have my own internal expectations. But our goal is to win a championship. That has never wavered,” said the two-time All-Star in a report from ESPN's Jamal Collier.
Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Kelly Oubre Jr., TJ McConnell, and Obi Toppin will lead the rotation, and they are expected to improve on the Pacers' 19-win total last season.
As of this writing, Indiana is leading Oklahoma City in the third quarter. Haliburton has 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting, three rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.