Haliburton Returns as Pacers Beat Timberwolves in Ames

Tyrese Haliburton returned to NBA action Wednesday after 472 days away following an Achilles tear in the 2025 Finals, scoring seven points and recording six assists in 16 minutes as Indiana beat Minnesota 123-112 in its sold-out preseason opener at Iowa State’s Hilton Coliseum. The game brought Haliburton back to Ames, where he played two college seasons before entering the 2020 NBA Draft; he had suggested holding the game there and arranged tickets for students, distributed through a university lottery. He called Ames a place full of special memories, said he would have liked to stay in college for four years, and planned a team dinner so his teammates could share in the visit.