Tyrese Haliburton’s night back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse carried the kind of emotion that only comes after a long absence.
Friday marked his first introduction at home since Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals, and he made it clear afterward how much the moment meant to him after missing all of last season while recovering from a torn Achilles.
"It's special, man," Haliburton said. "I don't take basketball for granted.
I don't take the opportunity to be healthy and be back on the floor doing what I love for granted. And this state, this fan base means a lot to me.
It's very much so appreciated, and I'm ready to get to the real games."
That home return came in Indiana’s preseason finale against the Milwaukee Bucks, with 10,283 announced in the building. Haliburton logged 20:18 and put up 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting, knocked down 3 of 6 from 3-point range, and finished with 3 rebounds and 6 assists. Indiana’s starters sat the entire second half, and the Bucks pulled out a 128-127 overtime win.
Haliburton said he had a charley horse after the final play before halftime, but he wasn’t concerned.
"I'm good," Haliburton explained. "I just [took] a knee. I get a few charley horses a year, so stretch, and I'll be fine."
The preseason game was another step in a comeback stretch that has already taken him back to Oklahoma City. On Tuesday, he returned to Paycom Center for the first time since Game 7 and scored 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, in a 114-112 overtime loss.
Friday also included a brief testy moment with Bucks guard Ryan Rollins. At the 10:45 mark of the first quarter, both players were hit with technical fouls.
Haliburton and Rollins were on opposite sides in the 2025 first round, a series Indiana won 4-1. Haliburton didn’t have much to say when asked whether there was anything behind the exchange.
"I don't know. I couldn't tell you. Next question," Haliburton said.
Rollins started for Milwaukee and finished with 8 points and 5 assists in 15:42. Like Indiana, the Bucks did not play their starters to the finish.
Indiana went 1-3 in the preseason, and its last two games both went to overtime. The Pacers played without Aaron Nesmith, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, while T.J.
McConnell, Jarace Walker and Johnny Furphy were also inactive. Furphy has been sidelined since tearing his right ACL in February.
Haliburton’s first regular-season home game since the 2025 Finals is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 23, against the Dallas Mavericks at 7 p.m. ET.
Indiana then visits Milwaukee on Monday, Oct. 26.
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Braden Smith Is Giving Pacers Fans A Real Backup Guard Debate
Braden Smith keeps making this an interesting preseason subplot for the Pacers. In 14:22 of regulation against the Bucks, the two-way guard handed out 6 assists while dealing with 3 turnovers, another reminder that his feel for the game is already easy to see even as he works through the usual edges of a young guard trying to earn more trust. Indiana lost in overtime, but Smiths presence was still noticeable in the kind of minutes that often tell a team whether a prospect can hang at this level.
Tyrese Haliburton offered a notable endorsement afterward, praising Smiths passing and comparing his baseline instincts to T.J. McConnell, who sat out because of an undisclosed issue. For the Pacers, that kind of internal comparison matters because it speaks to more than one skill set at once: Smith is still developing his aggressiveness, but the passing vision is real enough that it is already inviting a backup guard discussion in camp. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburtons Fiery Bucks Exchange Looks Even More Personal Now
The preseason meeting between the Pacers and Bucks on Oct. 15 already had more edge than most exhibition games, thanks to a heated exchange between Tyrese Haliburton and Ryan Rollins after a hard foul. Haliburton was hit with a technical on the spot, then answered with a made 3 and more words in Rollins direction, turning a routine tune-up into one of the more animated moments of the night.
Milwaukee ended up edging Indiana 128-127 in overtime, though neither guard saw the extra period. Even in a game that meant little in the standings, the back-and-forth stood out because it showed how quickly the matchup can turn from preseason casual to something far more personal, especially with both teams spending the night sorting out physicality and pride. [Read more 🡒]