Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton Opens Up About Playing at OKC for 1st Time Since Achilles Tear

The Indiana Pacers faced the Oklahoma City Thunder in OKC on Tuesday and Tyrese Haliburton played. 

It was the first time Haliburton played at the Paycom Center since tearing his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. 

Haliburton went off against the Thunder on Tuesday. The All-Star point guard put up 24 points in only 18 minutes while shooting 9-of-14 from the field, 4-of-6 from beyond the arc and 2-of-3 from the free-throw line. 

After the game, Haliburton told Jordan Davis that he thought he would be more emotional for the game. 

“I thought I would feel maybe a little more emotion coming in here…it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was gonna be.”

One of the top floor generals in the NBA, Haliburton had an outstanding 2024-25 campaign for the Pacers. He averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks per game and made the All-NBA Third Team.

Haliburton is averaging 19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 10.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks per game in a Pacers uniform. He signed a five-year, $244 million extension with the team in July 2023.

The talented playmaker will make $48,924,624 this season, $52,298,736 in 2027-28 and $55,672,848 in 2028-29, the final year of his deal.  

Indiana is expected to start Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac this season. That's a strong starting five on paper. 

Haliburton has career averages of 17.5 points and 8.8 assists per game in the regular season and 17.9 points and 8.4 assists per game in the playoffs. The basketball world is certainly glad that Haliburton is back.

The Pacers may have won Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Thunder had Haliburton not gotten hurt. It was a cruel turn of events for Indiana. 

However, that's in the past and the Pacers are ready to shock the world again in 2026-27.

It's safe to say that Haliburton will never forget October 7, 2026. Haliburton not only made his return to the NBA, but he also did it at his alma mater. 

The Pacers faced the Minnesota Timberwolves at Iowa State. Haliburton purchased tickets for the student section and the university held a lottery for people to attend.

Haliburton spent two years at Iowa State from 2018 to 2020 before being selected in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft. His college years have remained significant to him. He met his now wife, Jade, during his time at Iowa State and proposed to her on Iowa State's court when the two got engaged.

The Pacers open this season on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans. The home opener is against the Dallas Mavericks. 

Haliburton will get a loud ovation from the Pacers crowd that night.