For the first time in 486 days, Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton played in a meaningful basketball game. And he returned with a bang. The Indiana Pacers opened the 2026-2027 season in New Orleans on Wednesday night. After a lousy second quarter put the Pacers in a hole, the road team rallied from a double-digit deficit and came away victorious, defeating the Pelicans by a final score of 123-120. Here are my three takeaways from the opener.
Vintage Haliburton in his return.
Tyrese Haliburton's first shot and first bucket came a little over 2 minutes into the game, and it also gave the Pacers their first lead of the night. Overall, it was vintage Haliburton in his return as the point guard put together a 23 point, 12 assist night. Not only that, Indy's star made some of the game's biggest plays down the stretch, with multiple buckets in the closing minutes. Haliburton drove to the rim with force all night, which is an incredible sign for the season ahead.
"It means a lot to be back out here," Haliburton said after the game, fighting back tears. "We got a lot to pick up. Second quarter wasn't good, but we're battle tested. Really proud of this group."
Ivica Zubac showed a glimpse of his value.
Haliburton wasn't the only double-double on the evening. Ivica Zubac also recorded a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. He also recorded two blocks, and was a +11 on the night. The interesting thing, is that Zu's overall performance was a bit on the quiet side. Pacer fans across social media were voicing their displeasure for how he was playing for much of the night, and he still put those numbers together for the game. Who will record more double-doubles this season between Haliburton and Zubac? It might be close.
Pacers will need more from the second unit, and on the glass
Despite the 14 rebounds from Zubac, the Pacers got beat on the glass for most of the night. New Orleans out-rebounded the Pacers 50-42 and that gap closed quite a bit in the closing minute.
As for the second unit, the Pacers received massive minutes from Obi Toppin (20 points) and Quenton Jackson (6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals in 15 minutes.) The others, however, really struggled in this game. Jarace Walker had four turnovers and shot 1-for-6. Larry Nance Jr. only played five minutes but didn't look comfortable. Aaron Nesmith missed the opener with an injury, and Kelly Oubre Jr. will typically be part of the second unit.
Final Thoughts:
It's never easy winning on the road on Opening Night. The last time the Pacers won in New Orleans was in January of 2021. The bottom line: They got the job done, and the Pacers are heading home with a 1-0 record.
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