A familiar court and a significant step in his return
Tyrese Haliburton scored 24 points in 17 minutes and 59 seconds as Indiana returned to Oklahoma City on October 13, delivering an efficient offensive performance on the court where he ruptured his right Achilles tendon during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. The Pacers lost the preseason game 114–112 in overtime at Paycom Center, but Haliburton’s return gave the evening significance beyond the result.
The Indiana guard made nine of his 14 field-goal attempts, including four of six from three-point range. He also recorded three rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Those figures came in a restricted preseason workload, so they describe a strong individual outing rather than a full-game test of his conditioning.
Haliburton had missed the entire 2025–26 season after the injury. Tuesday was his second preseason appearance since returning to competition. His first came against Minnesota on October 7, making the Oklahoma City visit another distinct step in a comeback that is still in its early stages.
Speaking after the game, Haliburton said the experience had been less emotionally overwhelming than he had anticipated, according to The Oklahoman. Once play began, “it felt just like normal,” he said. That account offers a more measured picture than treating the return as proof that every physical and emotional consequence of the injury has disappeared.
His shooting was the clearest positive for Indiana. Four made threes accounted for half his scoring, while five additional baskets came inside the arc. He went two of three at the free-throw line. The performance showed scoring efficiency across more than one type of opportunity, although six three-point attempts remain a small sample.
There were also details to work on. Haliburton committed four turnovers, and a preseason appearance lasting less than 18 minutes cannot establish how he will handle a regular-season workload. His return and Indiana’s overtime defeat can therefore be assessed separately: the team still had an unfinished game to close, while its point guard produced meaningful evidence of progress.
For Philippine readers, the game took place on October 14 locally. The next stage of Haliburton’s comeback is building consistency across successive appearances, with Tuesday’s return to Oklahoma City serving as one encouraging checkpoint.