Hailburton returns Pacer's win 123-120

Hailburton played his first meaningful game back in 486 days, having missed the entirety of the previous season due to a torn Achilles suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Here are some key points from his return on Wednesday night.

The Long-Awaited Return

1. Immediate Impact: Haliburton didn't take long to shake off the rust, scoring his first bucket just over two minutes into the game to give Indiana its first lead of the night.
2. Overcoming Adversity: Beyond recovering from the major Achilles surgery, Haliburton also battled through a bout with shingles during his grueling rehab process, making his return to the court an even sweeter milestone.

2. Fourth-Quarter Takeover

1. Clutch Scoring: After a slow start as a team, Haliburton completely took over down the stretch, pouring in 16 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter alone.
2. The Game-Winner/Clinching Play: With the Pacers trailing late and facing a 10-point deficit at its peak, Haliburton drove aggressively to the basket with 1:25 remaining, absorbing contact from Zion Williamson for a tough left-handed floater and a crucial and-one free throw that put Indiana ahead for good.

3. Emotional Postgame

1. Fighting Back Tears: In his postgame walk-off interview, a visibly emotional Haliburton reflected on the journey back, telling reporters, "It means a lot to be back out here... I'm just really thankful to be back out here."

Stat Line

1. Points: 23
2. Assists: 12
3. Rebounds: 2
4. Steals: 1
5. Shooting: 8-of-15 from the field (including 2-of-6 from deep) and a clean 5-of-5 from the free-throw line in 34 minutes of action.