Tyrese Haliburton Gets Emotional After First Regular-Season Game in 486 Days

Tyrese Haliburton was in the middle of his on-court postgame interview Wednesday night at Smoothie King Center when he started crying.

The Indiana Pacers had just beaten the New Orleans Pelicans 123-120 in his first regular-season game in 486 days.

His last one ended in the first quarter of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on June 22, 2025, and Oklahoma City won the title that night. He missed all of last season, and Indiana went 19-63.

Haliburton figured the return would be emotional.

"I don't think there's been a point where, if I had moments in private, especially early when it was hard," Haliburton said. "I don't know. I thought that this moment would just feel super emotional for me. I didn't think I was going to cry. I really didn't."

"But I think it all just hit me kind of there when talking to Jeremiah and seeing all those Pacer fans in the arena," Haliburton continued. "We haven't won here in, what, five years or whatever. And to see all those Pacer fans here in New Orleans for this means a lot to me. And this organization, this city means a lot. And it just means a lot for me to be back doing what I love. So I think it kind of just all hit me at once, but I'm really happy to be back on the floor."

He finished with 23 points, 2 rebounds, and 12 assists in 33 minutes. Haliburton shot 8-of-15 from the field, 2-of-6 from 3-point range, and 5-of-5 at the free-throw line.

Most of that came late.

Through three quarters, Haliburton had 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting. He went scoreless in the second quarter, when New Orleans won the period 35-18 and took a 66-56 lead into halftime.

Indiana still trailed 92-86 going into the fourth. Haliburton opened the period on the bench and checked back in with 10:11 left, the Pacers down 95-88.

That stretch on the bench is where it changed for him.

"I think just an appreciation, man," Haliburton explained. "Perspective is everything. As the game was going on and I was struggling a little bit, just kind of tired and just not playing well. We weren't playing well. I think I was kind of sitting there in that moment, and I think what got me going again was just, I've had those moments before where it's kind of like, 'Oh, I need this game to get done. I need to breathe so I can get to tomorrow, next game, whatever.'"

"But in that moment, I just kind of took a step back when I was on the bench there," Haliburton added. "And I was just like, 'Man, I'm back playing. I'm back here, and I just want to live in the moment as much as I can.' And I think we all can relate to that in life as we get older. I'm obviously only 26 years old, but I think it's a new perspective that I've found. And I'm just really appreciative to be back playing basketball."

Haliburton scored 13 points in the fourth quarter. He made all 4 of his shots from the field in the period and all 5 of his free throws.

With the game tied at 118 inside the final 1:30, he scored through contact and made the free throw to put Indiana ahead 121-118.

The Pacers won the fourth quarter 37-28 to finish the comeback.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Indiana wanted one of its main point guards on the floor at all times, which cut into the minutes Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard played together.

"He made huge plays throughout the game, but particularly down the stretch," Carlisle said. "The one where he went in and was kind of like an air dunk, something else. And then the left-handed finish and the foul and one. And look, that kind of competitive presence, leadership, and belief is something that just bleeds out to everyone. So it's huge to have him back."

"You can't take Pascal Siakam for granted," Carlisle continued. "The guy had 30 points and was absolutely another hero in the second half. And he's so consistent and makes it look so consistently easy that he's an easy guy to dismiss as just a really good player, and he's [a] great player. So anyway, I thought [Nembhard] was great, too. Second half, we looked like the team that we want to be. First half, not so much. And the first quarter was fool's gold. I think when we look at that, we're going to see we made a lot of mistakes, and we're lucky to be up seven or eight or whatever it was."

Siakam shot 13-of-23 and scored 12 of his points in the fourth quarter. Obi Toppin had 20 off the bench, Nembhard added 18 points and 9 assists, and Ivica Zubac finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds.

Haliburton played in three of Indiana's four preseason games.

He scored 7 points in 16 minutes in the Oct. 7 opener at Iowa State, sat out the next exhibition with an ankle tweak, scored 24 at Oklahoma City on Oct. 13, and had 17 against Milwaukee on Oct. 16.

The Pacers play their home opener Friday at 7 p.m. ET against the Dallas Mavericks.

It will be Haliburton's first regular-season game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse since the 2024-25 season.