Haliburton Return Powers Pacers Past Pelicans in Opener

The Haliburton return was the story of NBA opening week, and it landed with tears. Tyrese Haliburton walked back onto a court on Wednesday night, more than sixteen months after rupturing his right Achilles tendon, and ran the Indiana Pacers to a 123-120 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, according to NBA.com's Associated Press report.

Sixteen months in the making

Haliburton tore the Achilles in Game Seven of the NBA Finals against Oklahoma City in June 2025. He then missed the entire 2025-26 season. The NBA counted four hundred eighty-six days between that night and his return, which is a long time for a guard whose whole game is rhythm and pace.

Before the injury, he had been one of the league's best table-setters. In his last full season he averaged eighteen points and nine assists a night, shooting about forty-seven percent from the field and thirty-nine percent from three. In that Game Seven he hit three triples in just seven minutes before going down. Fans have replayed that clip ever since.

The fourth quarter that mattered

Wednesday was not a ceremonial cameo. Haliburton finished with twenty-three points and twelve assists, thirteen of those points coming in the final quarter. With the game tied at one hundred sixteen, he blew past Trey Murphy for a layup. On the next trip down, he did the same to Herb Jones, a defensive specialist, and finished a three-point play. That gave Indiana the lead for good.

Coach Rick Carlisle said he was amazed Haliburton logged nearly thirty-four minutes and loved how his point guard controlled the closing stretch. In his words, the guard had enough in the tank and it was spectacular. Pascal Siakam added thirty points, and new center Ivica Zubac had sixteen points and fourteen rebounds, per the NBA's live recap.

The tears and the perspective

The emotional peak came after the buzzer. Haliburton needed the towel around his neck to wipe his face during a courtside interview. He said it felt like it took forever to get here, and he admitted he did not expect to cry until seeing Pacers fans who had traveled to New Orleans. He also described hard private moments early in the recovery.

What stands out is how he framed it. Midway through the game he felt tired and was struggling, then stepped back and reminded himself that simply playing again was the win. He said perspective is everything, and he is only twenty-six. For a generation that talks openly about burnout and mental health, that message hits.

Not everything was smooth

Haliburton took a hard fall after colliding with Zion Williamson, but bounced right up. He said that moment, with his teammates not panicking, made him feel most normal. He also admitted he was exhausted, noting that sprints and track workouts are nothing like real game shape. Expect his minutes and legs to be a storyline all month.

New Orleans had chances late. Williamson grabbed an offensive rebound on a missed three but dribbled out and missed a short shot, and Murphy's desperation heave at the buzzer was just wide, according to the NBA.com game blog.

A wild opening night around the league

Haliburton was not alone in making noise. Anthony Edwards dropped forty-five points with nine threes as Minnesota beat Miami in Giannis Antetokounmpo's Heat debut. That made Edwards only the third player, after Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain, with forty-plus in multiple season openers. Walker Kessler went twelve for twelve for the Lakers, and Ty Jerome set a career high with forty-five for Memphis.

For Pacers fans, though, the only box score that matters is the one with their star's name back in it. Indiana now has its engine again, and the Eastern Conference just got a lot more interesting.

Want more sports coverage like this? Browse the sports section for the latest, and keep an eye on how Haliburton's workload evolves through the first month of the season.