Tyrese Haliburton was an absolute mess of emotions after the Pacers’ come-from-behind win against the Pelicans on Wednesday, tearing up during his postgame interview. It was his first regular season game since that devastating Achilles tear in 2025, and you could feel exactly what it meant to him. It’s been a long 16 months since that injury, which happened in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, and for him to be back out there, hitting the court and getting a W, seriously, it’s incredible.
The Long Road Back to the Hardwood
You gotta remember what this dude went through. Tearing an Achilles in the NBA Finals? What a gut punch. The Pacers only managed 19 wins without him last season, so the team struggled. While they had to shake off some rust on the road in this opener, you could see the fire once they started their comeback. They finished off the win, and Haliburton, man, he just let it all out. When asked how much fun he had, he could barely get a word out. He choked up, telling the interviewer, “It means a lot just being back out here.” You could practically feel his relief and gratitude through the screen.
Twenty-Three Points, Twelve Dimes, Pure Emotion
Haliburton didn’t just show up for moral support, either. He balled out, dropping 23 points and dishing out 12 assists in the Pacers’ 123-120 victory. And get this: they were down by 10 points in the third quarter! Talk about a comeback for his return. He told ESPN that being away from the court last season gave him a “different perspective on life.” He added, “I’m just thankful to be playing basketball again and to be doing all the different things that I can do in the community because when something like that happens, it’s like your life flashes before your eyes.” That’s deep, man. You could see all that perspective hit him hard after that final buzzer.
What’s next for Haliburton and the Pacers? They’ve got a chance to stack some early wins, facing the Mavericks, Nets, and Bucks, all teams that lost their season openers. If he keeps playing with that kind of fire and putting up those numbers, this season could be wild.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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