The last image of Tyrese Haliburton on an NBA court was of a player on the ground, clutching his right leg in the first quarter of Game 7 of the 2025 Finals. That night in Oklahoma City, he ruptured his Achilles tendon and the Pacers lost the championship. The next image came Wednesday, 472 days later, at a purposefully chosen location: Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa State University's arena, where he played two seasons before jumping to the NBA.
"Really fun, really fun. I think perspective is everything," he said during the game. "I'm very grateful to be back on the court and very excited that all these people got to experience this. For me, just being able to play again means everything."
https://youtu.be/YI0iV06aTBE?si=mYzoYkn0TaBNyrRu
Sixteen minutes to start
Haliburton started and played 16 minutes, all with the team of his life surrounding him: Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, and Ivica Zubac. He finished with 7 points (3 of 8 from the field, 1 of 3 from three-point range), 6 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. It wasn't a game to measure his best level, but to confirm that his body is responding, and the feelings were good: he ran the offense with his usual pace, played defense, and didn't hide.
With him on the court, the Pacers won the first quarter (32-27). But when rotations came into play, the Timberwolves went ahead with a second quarter of 38-29 and reached halftime leading (61-65), with Anthony Edwards (19 points) and Jaden McDaniels (16) shooting well from outside.
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The third quarter breaks the game open
The game was decided after halftime. The Pacers posted a third quarter of 38-26 that turned the score around and left them up eight (99-91). The second unit was key: Jarace Walker led with 10 assists, Jay Huff scored 16 points, and Ben Sheppard found his stroke from three-point range in the second half (13 points). Aaron Nesmith finished as the Pacers' leading scorer with 19 points.
The Pacers shot 53% from the field and 51% from three-point range (17 of 33), and closed out the game comfortably (24-21 in the fourth quarter).
LaMelo and Kuminga in Minnesota
For the Timberwolves, LaMelo Ball showed flashes in his second game with his new team: 14 points on 4 of 6 from three-point range and 7 assists, though he also had 5 turnovers. Jonathan Kuminga, the other major offseason acquisition, finished with 2 points in 19 minutes.
The context
Haliburton's return is the best news of the preseason for a Pacers team that played the entire last season without their star. They have two weeks left to regain their rhythm before the season opener on October 20. The question is no longer if he'll return, but how long it will take for him to become the player who led Indiana to the Finals.