Tyrese Haliburton steals the show in preseason return to court where he suffered Achilles tear

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tyrese Haliburton steals the show in preseason return to court where he suffered Achilles tear

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Oct 13, 2026 10:46 PM ET

Prior to Tuesday, the last time Tyrese Haliburton took the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he suffered a torn Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. The Indiana Pacers went on to lose that game, as well as losing their star point guard for the entire 2025-26 season.

Haliburton finally made his return from the injury, and after an emotional preseason debut at his alma mater of Iowa State, Haliburton had another emotional preseason game on Tuesday night in Oklahoma City, a 114-112 overtime win for the Thunder.

Tyrese Haliburton returned to the court that turned his dreams to nightmares

Indiana traveled to Oklahoma City for preseason action Tuesday, and Haliburton was an absolute star in his return to the court where his NBA Finals dreams were crushed.

In 18 minutes of action, Haliburton had 24 points, three rebounds, three assists and two blocks. He made nine of his 14 field-goal attempts, including four of six attempts from three-point range.

It was an outstanding return to an arena and court where Haliburton certainly could've had a ton of jitters and emotions from his last experience there.

Hali went to work in the first half of preseason action in OKC

24 PTS (game-high)
3 REB
3 AST
2 BLK
9-14 FGM
4 3PM pic.twitter.com/flPgTXAZQW
— NBA (@NBA) October 14, 2026

So, I guess there isn’t much rust to shake off for Tyrese Halliburton, huh?

It’s only pre-season but he’s still going toe to toe with one of the best teams in the league and showcasing the elite skillset that carried Indiana to the championships pic.twitter.com/FU2Ojo7uPu
— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) October 14, 2026

It's just preseason, but Tyrese Haliburton has played well

In two preseason games, Haliburton has averaged 15.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, two blocks and 0.5 steals. He's shot 54.5% from the field overall and 55.5% from three-point range.

Those points, rebounds and assists numbers aren't the eye-popping stats that we are accustomed to seeing from Haliburton, but they have been in shortened minutes and are almost certainly going to increase when he is back to playing 35-37 minutes each night.

Can Indiana get back to where it was the last time Tyrese Haliburton was healthy?

The Pacers certainly have a chance to compete atop what will be a loaded Eastern Conference, as their roster is made up of a lot of the same players who nearly knocked off Oklahoma City in 2025.

Haliburton's health and availability will play a huge role in those chances. If Haliburton is able to be on the court on a nightly basis, Indiana has a real chance of getting right back to the competitive level he was at two seasons ago.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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