Tyrese Haliburton’s return is finally on the calendar, but the opening-night setting wasn’t what he pictured.
The Indiana Pacers will start the 2026-27 season on October 21 in New Orleans against the Pelicans, and that’s where Haliburton is set to make his first NBA appearance in nearly 16 months. After sitting out the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from a ruptured right Achilles tendon suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the two-time All-Star is back on the road to begin his comeback.
Haliburton admitted the matchup caught him off guard when he saw Indiana’s schedule.
“You think that game would be at home, if not on national television… When I saw the schedule, I was like, ‘Oh wow!’” Haliburton said.
“Love New Orleans. But I was shocked to see that.”
The reaction was shared Saturday by Fullcourtpass in a post on X, formerly Twitter, with the Numbers On The Board podcast credited as the original source.
Haliburton said he has affection for Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, but he still expected a bigger stage for such a meaningful night. Instead, his first game back comes on the road against a Western Conference opponent, not at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and not in the kind of nationally televised opener he had in mind.
Pacers fans won’t have to wait long to see him in person. Indiana hosts the Dallas Mavericks two nights later, which will give the home crowd its first chance to welcome Haliburton back.
His absence began after the Pacers fell one win short of the NBA title in 2025, and his return now stands as one of the biggest storylines around the team entering the new season. The task ahead is clear: Haliburton has to show that his repaired Achilles can handle the grind of NBA play while picking up his job as Indiana’s lead creator.
The location may have surprised him, but the schedule finally pushes him past the rehab phase and into the next chapter of his career. On opening night, the focus shifts from the injury to what comes next.
Tyrese Haliburton said he was shocked his return game from his achilles injury is against the Pelicans in New Orleans
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) August 15, 2026
“You think that game would be at home, if not on national television… When I saw the schedule, I was like, ‘Oh wow!’ Shoutout Trey Murphy II, love my boy, Trey.… pic.twitter.com/qNgOU1Q8HO
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