Emotional Haliburton leads Pacers' gritty win in long-awaited return from Achilles tear

Tyrese Haliburton's long-awaited return to the court finally arrived on Wednesday night, and the two-time All-Star could not hold back the tears. Playing his first game since tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, Haliburton poured in 23 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, and dished 12 assists to carry the Indiana Pacers to a gritty 123-120 season-opening win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Haliburton admitted afterward that the moment overwhelmed him. 'The best part was the end and that moment,' he told Andscape, describing the comeback as the peak of an 'emotional roller coaster' that began when he crumpled to the floor against Oklahoma City in June 2025.

The Pacers needed every bit of his late-game magic. Down for much of the night behind Zion Williamson's 22 points, Indiana clawed back behind Pascal Siakam's game-high 30. Haliburton, scoreless in the third quarter and openly gassed, took over in the fourth — drawing fouls, converting a three-point play to trim the deficit to 101-98, and steadying Indiana through a chaotic finish that included a technical foul he later joked about: 'I didn't say anything. I want my money back for that technical.'

Siakam praised his teammate's pace and conditioning, while coach Rick Carlisle said Haliburton 'played extremely well.' The Pacers, Eastern Conference champions before last season's injury-ravaged 19-63 collapse, play their home opener Friday — the game where Haliburton had expected to feel the emotions. He credited the support around him, including 12 friends and family members who flew to New Orleans on a private plane, and thanked Dejounte Murray, who tore his own Achilles in January 2025, for mentoring him through the recovery.