Tyrese Haliburton Is Back: Pacers Star Returns After Devastating Achilles Tear

Tyrese Haliburton is officially back on an NBA court. The Indiana Pacers star returned to game action Wednesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, completing his long road back from the Achilles tear he suffered during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Haliburton missed the entire 2025-26 season while recovering, making his return at his former college home of Iowa State an especially fitting setting.

Haliburton played 16 minutes in Indiana’s 123-112 preseason victory, finishing with 7 points and 6 assists while also making an impact defensively. The numbers were secondary to the bigger development: Indiana finally had its franchise point guard back directing the offense in live game action. Haliburton even scored his first basket since the injury on a pull-up jumper, giving Pacers fans their first real glimpse of the player they have been waiting more than a year to see again.

The setting added another layer to the comeback. Haliburton returned to the arena where he starred for Iowa State and addressed the crowd before the game, telling Cyclones fans how much the school still means to him. For Indiana, Wednesday was only a preseason game, but Haliburton getting through his first minutes back represents a major milestone. The next question is no longer when he will return—it is how quickly he can regain the form that helped carry the Pacers to the NBA Finals.