Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton on return: ‘A lot of adrenaline’

Tyrese Haliburton waited nearly 16 months to play in an NBA game again. Once he got out there, slowing down was the challenge.

The Pacers guard returned from his Achilles tear in Wednesday’s preseason opener against the Timberwolves, finishing with seven points, six assists and two blocks in 16 minutes.

“It’s the first game, but just got to slow down,” Haliburton said, via Jamal Collier of ESPN. “There was just a lot of adrenaline. I was hyped to be out there, excited, but I just got to slow down a little bit.”

The setting gave him another reason to be excited. Haliburton made his return at Iowa State, where he played college basketball.

According to Collier, the 26-year-old bought out the student sections at both ends of the arena, allowing students to claim those seats on a first-come, first-served basis. They helped make his first game back memorable.

“It’s the loudest preseason game I’ve ever been a part of,” Haliburton said. “But had a lot of fun, a lot of special memories I’ve made here and that just adds to it.”

For Indiana, the night offered an encouraging step with its star point guard back on the floor. For Haliburton, it also meant adding a comeback to his collection of Iowa State memories.