Tyrese Haliburton Returns From Achilles Injury as Pacers Edge Pelicans
Tyrese Haliburton returned from a torn Achilles tendon and recorded 23 points and 12 assists as the Indiana Pacers beat the New Orleans Pelicans 123-120 in their season opener. Pascal Siakam scored 30 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, while Haliburton’s comeback drew an emotional reaction.
Haliburton returns as Pacers edge Pelicans in season opener
Tyrese Haliburton returned from a torn Achilles tendon and helped the Indiana Pacers defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 123-120 on Wednesday night in his first regular-season appearance since the injury.
Haliburton finished with 23 points and 12 assists, while Pascal Siakam scored 30 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, according to the Associated Press report carried by CBS Sports. The result came in Indiana’s season opener and marked Haliburton’s first regular-season game since rupturing his right Achilles tendon 16 months earlier.
Emotional return
Haliburton was visibly emotional after completing the comeback, according to Yahoo Sports. The guard’s return followed his absence since Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, making his appearance one of the defining moments of the NBA’s opening night.
Indiana held on for the three-point victory despite New Orleans’ late push. The Pacers’ opening-night win gave Haliburton a successful return and Siakam’s fourth-quarter scoring supplied the decisive offensive production reported in the game account.