Tyrese Haliburton shines as Pacers lose to Thunder: Four things learned
The Pacers returned to OKC on Tuesday night.
The Indiana Pacers – and, importantly, Tyrese Haliburton – were in Oklahoma City to battle the Thunder on Tuesday night. The Pacers won in the Paycom Center last season, their first game back after losing Game 7 of the 2025 Finals in that building.
Haliburton wasn't there for that regular season win, a 117-114 victory on January 23. It was a rare game he didn't attend, later telling Taylor Rooks of Prime Video he wasn't ready to go back yet. That was the site of his torn Achilles. He wanted to be playing and get lost in basketball.
Tuesday, albeit in an exhibition, was Haliburton's first chance to do that. He practiced in full on Monday after missing Saturday's game vs Atlanta and was good to go in OKC, starting with Ivica Zubac and Pascal Siakam. Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith were out – as were Jarace Walker and T.J. McConnell.
It was the Pacers first, and only, true road game of the preseason. What was learned about the Pacers in their game vs the Thunder?
Tony East
Tyrese Haliburton picks things up where he left off
Haliburton scored nine points in seven minutes to open Game 7 of the Finals in 2025. He was hot from the field before his injury.
He brought the same heat to the arena to start this preseason game. Haliburton was 3/3 with eight points at the game's first stoppage, scoring on the baseline and hitting two deep threes in the first 4.5 minutes. His shot accuracy was spectacular.
He wanted to get lost in the game and did so early. After OKC's first timeout, Haliburton continued to drill shots and run the Pacers offense as they built a double-digit lead. He had 11 points and two assists at the end of the first quarter.
"Tyrese played great," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said postgame, later complimenting his approach. "Coming back in here and being undaunted by anything that's happened in the past, he really came in and played his game."
The second frame was nearly identical. Haliburton kept sticking jumpers, making seven of his first eight. He was clearly feeling himself and becoming ambitious – Haliburton took a running three-point shot from the right wing that hit the front of the rim. It was a daring triple, but an earned heat check.
Confident and bold shot making, plus magical passing. The Haliburton experience, as it was early in Game 7.
Haliburton's stat line at halftime: 24 points, three assists. That's when his outing ended.
Points of emphasis on display
League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was called for an offensive foul after using his off arm to clear space, knocking Kelly Oubre away.
Obi Toppin was similarly called for one while off the ball later in the first quarter.
That's a point of emphasis for NBA Officials for the coming season. The off arm, flopping, closeouts on shooters, and long free throw routines were shared as the emphases for refs. You can read more here, and I talked about it on this podcast – even discussing that Toppin would be the most impacted Pacer (not said in the podcast: Quenton Jackson ranks second here).
The center rotation stepped up
Zubac played a game alongside Haliburton for the second time, and he was brilliant in the first half of this game.
The Pacers new big man started 6/7 from the field, hitting floaters from the baseline and from the foul line. He showed the range that he's capable of while also scoring with power down low – a dunk and a hook shot most prominently.
Zubac added 13 rebounds in the first half, five of which came on the offensive end. Going against Isaiah Hartenstein, who has given the Pacers trouble during recent seasons, Zubac was great. He even had five assists, throwing some difficult passes over the Thunder defense.
"He's got great feel," Carlisle said of Zubac postgame. "He's got a lot of skill, power, size. His screening is something that's going to be a major plus for us. And he's adjusting to a different style of play... He was terrific in this game."
Zubac reached the break with 13 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists before being shut down for the night. He was terrific. Larry Nance, meanwhile, assumed backup duties once again – that alone is noteworthy. He had five points in the first half and continues to look comfortable in the Pacers system.
Nance played some power forward next to Rienk Mast in the second half, then finished with five points and one rebound. Jay Huff had a high activity level in the third and fourth quarters, adding accurate shooting. He had 11 points and three rebounds, going 4/7 from the field.
The reserves struggled offensively
With Haliburton, Siakam, and Zubac shut down for the second half, the Pacers essentially just played their bench and reserves in the third and fourth quarters. Those groups did not turn in a good performance, particularly on offense.
With 7:30 to go in the fourth quarter, the Pacers had 12 turnovers in the second half. That's almost one turnover per minute – and they had made just 10 shots at the time across the final two quarters.
Without McConnell or Walker available, the Pacers were light on shot creation among their depth. Jackson struggled. With 6:40 until the fourth quarter buzzer, the Pacers were shooting 10/30 (33.3%) in the second half.
"Second half, both teams battled like crazy," Carlisle said postgame.
The depth pieces struggled for much of that half. And that almost cost the Pacers the game – they were trailing for much of the fourth quarter until Kobe Brown tied things up with 5.6 seconds to go with a tough layup – however, he missed a free throw that would have won the Pacers the game.
Instead, the game went to overtime. In the third and fourth quarters, the Pacers shot 14/40 from the field (35%) and 18 turnovers. More precise play would have given the Pacers a win in regulation.
The extra period featured some strong shooting and shot making from Exhibit 10 signees Rienk Mast and Keba Keita, but the Pacers fell 114-112. Braden Smith, once again, couldn't tie the game at the buzzer. The Pacers dropped to 1-2 in the preseason with the loss.
Thank you for reading. About one week, and a few practices, left for the Pacers before the season starts. Sign up and get more stories about the team delivered right to your email inbox.
Comments ()