Nearly 500 days had passed since Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton last played in a regular-season NBA game. On Wednesday, the two-time All-Star made his long-awaited return, scoring 23 points to help Indiana secure a 123-120 season-opening victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Haliburton was sidelined for the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder went on to win the championship that year.

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