During the final week of an NBA regular season that’s missed Tyrese Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers star provided an encouraging update about his return to play.
“Played 5 on 5 today for first time since June,” the two-time All-Star point guard posted on X on Wednesday night.
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June is when Haliburton, 26, tragically suffered an Achilles tear that cut his epic 2025 postseason short during Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Haliburton was playing through a calf strain at the time. He knew the risks that came with that endeavor, and, yet, he rolled the dice in order to try to help the Pacers win their first NBA championship.
But in the first quarter of a fateful Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Haliburton stumbled while dribbling forward, hit the deck and, in obvious pain, pounded the hardwood with his hand.
Then tied, the game wound up in the Thunder’s hands, and Oklahoma City hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy while the Pacers wondered what could have been. Haliburton, after all, was a late-game assassin throughout last year’s playoffs.
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A day after Haliburton’s devastating injury, he shared a heartfelt message to fans on social media.
“Now that I’ve gotten surgery, I wish I could count the number of times people will tell me I’m going to “come back stronger.” What a cliche lol, this s*** sucks. My foot feels like dead weight fam. But what’s hurting most I think is my mind. Feel like I’m rambling, but I know this is something I’ll look back on when I’m through this, as something I’m proud I fought through. It feels good to let this s*** out without y’all seeing the kid ugly cry.”
In that message, he said he didn’t regret his decision to keep playing after sustaining a calf strain in Game 5. The former Iowa State standout and Sacramento Kings first-round pick apologized to the city of Indianapolis, but he assured Pacers faithful that he’d get back to being “the best version of Tyrese Haliburton.”
In July, the Pacers confirmed that Haliburton wouldn’t play during the 2025-26 season. Team president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard noted that the franchise didn’t want to jeopardize further injury for its floor general.
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Elsewhere in the league, another star successfully worked his way back from an Achilles tear. That’s Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, although the six-time All-Star and one-time NBA champ went down with his injury in May during the final minutes of an Eastern Conference semifinals Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks.
Tatum’s first game back was on March 6. In 15 games, he’s averaged 21.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists while shooting 41.9% from the field and 33.8% from deep for a Celtics team that’s second in the East.
During the 2025-26 campaign, Haliburton has tested the broadcasting waters as a player contributor on “NBA on Prime” and dealt with shingles, among other ups and downs that have come with an unusual season away from the court.
Indiana has struggled mightily in his absence. With three regular-season games remaining, the Pacers are 18-61. That’s the second-worst record in the NBA.
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It’s a lost season, but the next one will feature the return of Haliburton, who signaled his progress on Wednesday night.
