Tyrese Haliburton can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The Indiana Pacers star point guard Haliburton excited fans with the message that he posted to his X page on Wednesday night. Haliburton revealed that he has now progressed to playing 5-on-5 for the very first time since his Achilles injury last June.
“Played 5 on 5 today for first time since June,” wrote Haliburton.
Played 5 on 5 today for first time since June
— Tyrese Haliburton (@Hali) April 8, 2026
The two-time All-Star Haliburton, 26, achieved immortality last year by leading the Pacers to an improbable NBA Finals run as the No. 4 seed. But the run came at a cost as Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who eventually defeated Indiana to win the NBA title.
Haliburton is now taking the entire 2025-26 season to recover, and his absence has certainly been felt tremendously by the Pacers. Indiana now holds the second-worst record in the entire NBA at a rancid 18-61.
The good news though is that the Pacers have an excellent chance at a high pick in the loaded 2026 NBA Draft and also added a talented new center in Ivica Zubac at the trade deadline. Haliburton has had a challenging recovery, featuring significant weight gain and also a strange illness that forced him to be sent home by the Pacers. But based on his return to 5-on-5 play, Haliburton appears to be an all-systems-go for Opening Night of the 2026-27 season.
