The Indiana Pacers have Tyrese Haliburton back at last. The star Indiana point guard made his much-awaited return to live NBA action on Wednesday, taking the floor for a preseason matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves at his old college stomping grounds at Hilton Coliseum in Ames.
The former Iowa State Cyclones star even scored the Pacers' first points of the night on a counter-attack with forward Pascal Siakam.
You can check out Haliburton's sweet bucket here:
TYRESE HALIBURTON WITH THE BUCKET 🔥
His first since June 22, 2025.
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 7, 2026
That was a beautiful sight for the Pacers and their fans, as they have waited a long time for their star to come back. Indiana clearly missed Haliburton last season, as they looked ruderless on the floor most of the time. After winning 50 games and representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals in the 2024-25 season, Indiana went 19-63. The Pacers' offensive rating dropped from 116.5 to 110.9 as well in those seasons.
Haliburton sat out the entire 2025-26 season to recuperate from a surgery that he needed to have to address the brutal Achilles injury he suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Article Continues BelowWith Haliburton' return, Indiana can add to the mix of title contenders from the East.
Among them are the New York Knicks, whom the Pacers defeated in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, are coming off an NBA title win and by that virtue have a big target on their back. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers have loaded up with the additions of Jaylen Brown and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James. The Boston Celtics are also right up there, as always.
Haliburton and the Pacers will open their season on Oct. 21 against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.