Tyrese Haliburton wasted no time reminding everyone why his name belongs in the MVP conversation.
Bleacher Report put the Indiana Pacers guard in that bucket after he came back in style in the team’s first game of the season against the New Orleans Pelicans. In his first regular-season action since tearing his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Haliburton delivered 23 points and 12 assists in 34 minutes.
Indiana walked out with a 123-120 win, and Haliburton’s line backed up the result. He shot 8-of-15 from the field, 2-of-6 from 3-point range and went a perfect 5-of-5 at the line.
The night hit harder than the box score. Haliburton said the emotion really came at the end of the game when he looked around and saw so many Pacers fans in New Orleans.
"The best part was the end and that moment," Haliburton told Andscape. "It's been an emotional roller coaster.
I'm telling you, what made me feel that way was seeing all those Pacers fans here in New Orleans. That was special."
He had plenty of support beyond the crowd in the arena. His wife, Jade, who he married this past offseason, was there and hugged him after the game. His parents, John and Brenda Haliburton, along with his two brothers, were also in attendance.
So were his agent Aaron Mintz, shooting coach Drew Hanlen, marketing representative Kristina Kozica and other friends and associates.
"My people flew out here. I think there was 12 people on the [private] plane," Haliburton said.
"My best friend, my brothers. My parents.
My wife. My trainer.
Mostly everybody. I think it was important for everybody to be there and they wanted to be there for me.
It just means a lot."
Haliburton’s return also serves as the latest reminder of the level he reached before the injury. In the 2024-25 season, he averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks per game and earned All-NBA Third Team honors.
Indiana’s Finals run ended with a cruel twist when Haliburton went down, and the Pacers may have won Game 7 against the Thunder if he had stayed healthy.
Even so, the future for the Pacers and their star guard remains tied together. Haliburton signed a five-year, $244 million extension with Indiana in July 2023 after the Pacers acquired him from the Sacramento Kings in 2022. The team can sign him to another extension after this season, and that will likely happen.
Next up is Dallas at home, and Haliburton should receive a big ovation when the starting lineups are introduced. The Mavericks were blown out by the Houston Rockets in Game 1, but Indiana still has to be ready for a team that features Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg, two of the best players in the NBA.
In Other News...
Pacers Suddenly Have A Real TJ McConnell Decision To Make
With TJ McConnell still rehabbing a hamstring injury, the Pacers got a useful look at Quenton Jackson in the backup point guard role, and Rick Carlisle clearly liked what he saw. Jackson, who came up on a two-way deal and already has G League experience, handled the job well in the recent game and drew praise from his coach for stepping into a spot Indiana has had trouble filling without McConnell.
The bigger issue now is what happens when McConnell gets back. Indiana does not have many clean alternatives behind Tyrese Haliburton, and Carlisles choice with Jackson only sharpened the question of how the rotation should look once the roster is whole again. Braden Smith and Kobe Brown are still not ready to fully take on that responsibility, which leaves the Pacers weighing whether Jackson has done enough to stay in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Already Have A Bench Concern They Couldnt Ignore
The Pacers got their first look at how their rookie reserves might fit into a real game, and the opening-night answer was not especially encouraging. Jarace Walker finished with three points and six rebounds, but his night was marked by more turnovers than assists, while Ben Sheppard also produced three points and was asked to do most of his work on the defensive end.
For a bench group Indiana will need to trust over the course of the season, that kind of quiet debut matters. Walker and Sheppard were both in positions to help provide energy and stability, yet neither made much of a statistical imprint against New Orleans, leaving the Pacers with an early reminder that their second unit still has some proving to do. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburton's Return Comes With A Real Test For Indiana
Tyrese Haliburtons return to Indianapolis gives the Pacers home opener a very different kind of edge, with the crowd ready to welcome back the guard who meant so much to the franchise during the 2025 playoffs. Indiana will also be opening against a Dallas team that brings plenty of intrigue of its own, including Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg, so this will be more than a feel-good night for the building.
The Pacers are still working through point guard depth concerns with T.J. McConnell sidelined, which puts even more weight on how they manage the backcourt minutes and the defensive matchups. Against Dallas, those assignments matter from the jump, and Indianas ability to handle Irving while also keeping tabs on Flagg will go a long way toward determining whether the opener feels like a celebration or a stress test. [Read more 🡒]