Timberwolves Got a Unique Preseason Experience vs. Pacers

For the first time in 472 days, Tyrese Haliburton played in an official basketball game for the Indiana Pacers as he returned from his torn Achilles injury sustained in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.

For years, Haliburton wanted the Pacers to play a preseason game at his alma mater, Iowa State, and his organization finally obliged with the superstar back healthy and on the court. The Pacers just needed to find an opponent and saw the Minnesota Timberwolves as the perfect fit, with the team's G League affiliate just down the road in Des Moines.

“Iowa State holds a special place in my heart,” Haliburton said the morning before his team's 123-112 win over the Timberwolves. "Very appreciative of both organizations for allowing this to happen. I think it's kind of poetic. Obviously I haven’t played an organized game of basketball a year and a half and there's nowhere I'd rather come back to. So it'll be fun.”

Fun it was, as the people of Ames, Iowa, were insanely pumped up to see their prodigal son return. The Pacers themselves looked a lot like the version that was Eastern Conference champions two seasons ago, using pace to find efficient offense, something the Timberwolves are trying to replicate.

“I particularly love these kind of non-traditional NBA cities," Wolves head coach Chris Finch noted before the game. "We’ve come to Des Moines to support our G League setup. When they asked us to come down here and support what they were doing with Tyrese, we said yes right away. And I think it's good for the guys. I think it's fun, it kinda keeps it fresh."

The added intensity and emotion in the building gave the Timberwolves an opportunity to compete in a setting that replicated the vibes of a regular season game. The fans in the building were intensely focused on every second of the game, a rarity for what is ultimately an exhibition.

"It was dope," said Terrence Shannon Jr., who won both of his collegiate games against Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum. "It was packed in there. Just like I remember playing there when I was at Texas Tech. It was dope. Good fans. It was good for us."

Among Timberwolves players who garnered the largest fan reaction was Anthony Edwards, who was drafted in 2020 along with Haliburton and new teammate LaMelo Ball. Edwards drained four three-pointers, with the crowd growing in amazement with each one.

However, perhaps the most noteworthy element of these two teams meeting is the connection the Timberwolves now have to Haliburton as Donte DiVincenzo progresses through his rehab.

Tyrese Haliburton's return provides hope for Wolves and Donte DiVincenzo

Since tearing his own Achilles a few months ago, DiVincenzo has spoken to Haliburton, among other recent NBA players who suffered the same injury, about the recovery process and what to expect.

While DiVincenzo likely won't get a Villanova homecoming of his own given he plans to return to the court this season, it was uplifting for the Wolves' guard to see another person who went through the same Achilles recovery come out clean on the other side.

DiVincenzo is staying close to his teammates through his recovery process. He is currently with the team on this preseason road trip that has taken the Wolves from Milwaukee to Ames and now to Miami.

The important part is DiVincenzo getting back to the court healthy, something Ayo Dosunmu and the rest of the Wolves saw firsthand with Haliburton being celebrated in his return to his collegiate home.

“Health is always most important for anybody in the NBA," Dosunmu said. "I always pray for health and safety. So for [Haliburton] to come back and be able to play again the game that he loves to play, that’s all God."