In win over Detroit Pistons, Tyrese Haliburton hits his pre-injury level for Indiana Pacers

Haliburton was terrific on Thursday

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers did what they were supposed to do last night and made work of the Detroit Pistons at home. The Pacers had a wobbly third quarter that required attention after the game, but they otherwise controlled things for a 14-point win.

A comfortable win over the Pistons, something Indiana has already done three times this season, is hardly noteworthy for a Pacers team trying to reach the postseason. What was noteworthy, however, was Tyrese Haliburton's performance. Not only was his statistical production excellent, but he looked more like the superstar guard who hit the hardwood every night prior to his early-January hamstring injury.

Haliburton finished the night with 25 points and 13 assists. 25 points is the most he has scored since the injury, and 13 assists is the second-best number he's had in that span. He launched 10 threes, the most he's been able to get up since the hamstring strain, and dunked twice. It was without a doubt the most complete performance the star guard has displayed since his January 8 injury.

"It's important that our players feel good physically and are healthy. [Haliburton] went through a tough five or six weeks with the initial injury and the buildup back to play and then playing. So he's been through a lot, was doing everything during All-Star weekend. To see him have two dunks and really feel good doing it is great to see," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game. 

Haliburton has gone through a process to get to this point. He was on a significant  minutes restriction for about a week and a half after returning to play. In the coming games, he was permitted to hit the hardwood for closer to 30 minutes, but his effectiveness wasn't the same — he averaged 15.8 points and 10.8 assists per game while shooting under 44% from the field in the five outings after his minutes restrictions loosened.

The star guard was playing, but he wasn't at his star-level impact. He didn't have the same pop and energy that he did pre-injury. His shooting and passing still made him an effective player, but he wasn't at the same high level that he spent the first 2.5 months of the season playing at.

Last night marked a return to form for Haliburton, who had a lengthy All-Star break before the action. It wasn't much of a break for the Pacers guard, who participated in several All-Star events and was the busiest man in Indianapolis. But from a physicality perspective, not having intense games or practices was important.

Now, he's fully healthy — or at least closer to it. "About there. There will probably be some soreness tomorrow. There's been soreness all throughout," Haliburton said Thursday night. "But today's the best I've felt by far, the best I've moved... That's a relief. Want to maintain that as time goes on."

Haliburton's consecutive dunks were perhaps the best sign of his recovery. He had 16 dunks in 2023-24 entering Thursday, less than 0.4 per game, then had two on back-to-back possessions against Detroit. Haliburton made a point of sharing how strong his leg felt after dunking in the All-Star game, so he is clearly getting back some of his burst.

Now, he's not as limited. "I would just say, it felt like in the games my explosive movements as the game went on kind of decreased. I didn't feel that in the moment," he said of what he couldn't do before but can do now physically. "I felt really good. I felt like I could get to every spot," he added. Haliburton explained that the off-one-leg stepback three he takes going to his right, which requires leaping off of his left leg, was available to him again Thursday night, among other moves he couldn't quite do before.

All of that recovery led to an important victory. With Haliburton on the floor, the Pacers outscored the PIstons by 12 points in a 14-point win. His offensive level was as impressive as it had been in the year 2024, and it guided the blue and gold.

His teammates benefited from it as he distributed 13 assists. He tossed one to every Indiana player who suited up besides Obi Toppin and Doug McDermott. Everyone else had a bucket created by the star guard.

"Without him, we're just a completely different team," reserve point guard T.J. McConnell, who also had an excellent game, said. "To have him back with no restriction, it just takes our team to another level."

McDermott, who played his fourth-ever game alongside the star guard, agreed. "He's incredible. He makes the right play every time. He pushes the pace. A shooter's dream to play with a guy like that," the veteran wing said.

The Pacers often go as Haliburton goes, and his injury changed the trajectory of their season somewhat. They were tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference the day he hurt his hamstring, and now they are clinging to sixth.

As the team pushes toward its playoff goals, wins are important. They accomplished that on Thursday. But more importantly, they saw Haliburton at his finest again. He can guide them going forward.

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• Tyrese Haliburton spends All-Star weekend as the face of the NBA, winning comes next. CLICK HERE.
• Doug McDermott adjusting to trade and studying how to help the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
• One-on-one with former Indiana Pacers great Metta Sandiford-Artest (Ron Artest) during NBA All-Star weekend. CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers handle Detroit Pistons to open post-All-Star break play. CLICK HERE.
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