Indiana’s comeback begins with its playmaker
Tyrese Haliburton needed only 16 minutes to give Indiana a reason to look beyond last season’s record. He returned with seven points and six assists in the Pacers’ 123–112 preseason win over Minnesota at Hilton Coliseum on October 7, October 8 in the Philippines. The encouraging part was how quickly he could contribute without dominating the scoring.
Indiana’s 19–63 finish still matters. That was the team’s actual performance across a full season, and a single exhibition cannot erase it. The more useful question is how much that record tells us about a group now able to put its lead playmaker back on the floor. Haliburton’s absence after the Achilles injury in the 2025 NBA Finals changed the conditions under which the Pacers were being judged.
Against Minnesota, he had one turnover alongside those six assists. Indiana finished with 39 assists on 48 made field goals, meaning roughly 81 percent of its baskets were assisted. That is a team figure, not a measure of Haliburton’s individual effect, but it shows why his return can fit an offense with several willing passers. Jarace Walker’s 10 assists supplied another source of creation.
The distinction matters when assessing Indiana’s ceiling. A player who helps teammates reach their preferred shots can influence a game without producing a large scoring total. Haliburton’s seven points therefore tell only part of the story. His passing contribution gives the coaching staff something practical to build on as minutes and responsibilities increase.
There are also new relationships to establish. Axios identified the integration of Ivica Zubac, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr. as part of Indiana’s preseason task. Bringing Haliburton back does not automatically recreate the combinations that reached the Finals. The returning players and additions still need to learn when to screen, cut and move the ball around one another.
The game also provided a reminder that this is a team project. Minnesota led at halftime before Indiana took control in the third quarter. Assigning the entire result to a 16-minute appearance would ignore the other players and the changing preseason rotations.
The case for optimism is that Indiana has regained a central piece of its offensive structure. The evidence still needed is consistency across longer appearances, different opponents and the regular-season schedule. Haliburton’s first night back gives that process a promising beginning; it does not settle where the Pacers will finish.