Haliburton's Emotional Return Lifts Pacers Past Pelicans in Season Opener

Tyrese Haliburton's comeback could not have been scripted much better. The Indiana Pacers guard made his first NBA appearance in more than 400 days on Wednesday night and led his side to a 123-120 season-opening win over the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center.

Haliburton, sidelined with an Achilles injury, was visibly emotional in his postgame interview after finishing with 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting and 12 assists. He took over when it mattered most, scoring eight of Indiana's 10 points in a 90-second stretch of the final period as the Pacers outscored the Pelicans 37-28 in the fourth quarter to complete the come-from-behind victory.

The night was not without flashpoints. Haliburton exchanged heated words with New Orleans center Derik Queen as the two walked toward their respective benches in the fourth quarter. They were separated before anything escalated, and Haliburton was assessed a technical foul. Queen stood his ground with a solid bench outing of 10 points, 10 rebounds and two steals in 18 minutes.

Haliburton had plenty of help: Pascal Siakam tallied 30 points and eight rebounds, while Ivica Zubac added 16 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks. Dejounte Murray led the Pelicans with 23 points, and Zion Williamson added 22 in the losing effort.