In their penultimate preseason game, the Pacers lost in overtime against the Oklahoma City Thunder, 114-112.
Regular starters Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith were out for the game, while T.J. McConnell and Jarace Walker missed the game as well. Ben Sheppard and Kelly Oubre Jr. started in place of Nembhard and Nesmith. The Pacers led 61-59 at halftime before subbing all their regular starters out of the game.
Here are three observations from Tuesday's game:
Tyrese Haliburton returns to form
Haliburton returned to the floor after missing the Pacers' second preseason game with an ankle injury, and he was the best player on the floor. Haliburton scored 24 points while shooting 9-for-14 from the field, including 4-for-6 on 3s in 18 minutes (all in the first half).
The last time Haliburton played in the Paycom Center, he hit three 3s in the first seven minutes of Game 7 of the NBA Finals before he tore his Achilles tendon and the Pacers lost the game. Haliburton declined to sit on the sidelines when the Pacers played in Oklahoma City in January, making Tuesday his first return to the scene of his league-altering injury.
Ivica Zubac gains comfort
Zubac's synergy with his new star point guard looked far more natural than it did in the Pacers' preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Zubac tallied 13 points, 13 rebounds and five assists – which were all preseason highs.
Zubac's effect was felt throughout the entire first half, when he outplayed the Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein and Aday Mara. His rebounding led to extra opportunities for the Pacers' offense, plus he created several of Haliburton's open looks via physical screens.
Offensively, Tuesday served as the perfect preview for what the Pacers want the Haliburton-Zubac duo to look like. While Zubac isn't the shooter or floor-spacer Myles Turner was before him, the team believes Zubac's physicality and paint presence will bring a new element, which it did Tuesday.
Jay Huff could be odd man out of big rotation
For the second straight game, Huff didn't play in the first half. The Pacers instead opted to use Larry Nance Jr. as their backup center in the first half while also giving Obi Toppin some run at the center spot. When Toppin was playing center, the Pacers opted to play Kobe Brown at power forward rather than a taller lineup consisting of Toppin and Huff.
Huff scored 11 points and nailed three 3s in his 13 second-half minutes, but it appears Huff – who played all 82 games last season and started 47 – will begin the season no higher than third on the center totem pole.
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton is best player on floor in return to Oklahoma City
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