The last time Tyrese Haliburton played in Oklahoma City, his Achilles gave out in the first quarter of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. On Tuesday night he walked back into Paycom Center and scored 24 points in the first half. The Pacers lost the preseason game 114-112 in overtime, but nobody in Indiana is going to remember the score, per ClutchPoints.
Haliburton shot 9-of-14 from the field and 4-of-6 from deep, with three rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 18 minutes. Afterward, he admitted he expected the night to hit him harder emotionally. Once the ball went up, he said, it just felt like a normal game.
The IAHHM Take
That’s the most encouraging thing he could have said. Coming back from an Achilles isn’t only about the tendon. It’s about trusting your body when you plant and push, and about walking into the building where it all went wrong without flinching. Twenty-four in a half says the trust is there.
Indiana needs it. Without him, the Pacers won just 19 games last season. This is the same team that was one win away from a title. With Haliburton running the show again, the East’s middle class should be nervous.
The Pacers close the preseason Friday against Milwaukee and open the regular season Oct. 21 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
So what’s your call: is Haliburton all the way back, or do we wait until the games count? Let us hear it.
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Source: ClutchPoints
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