Tyrese Haliburton Out vs Hawks With Mild Ankle Tweak

Deep breath, Pacers fans. Tyrese Haliburton sat out Saturday's preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks with what coach Rick Carlisle called "a mild tweak of the right ankle," and the MRI came back clean, per Yahoo Sports. Most important line of the night: "The Achilles looks great."

Carlisle said Haliburton picked up the tweak in the preseason opener against Minnesota and was limited in practice Friday. "Did an MRI and everything looks really good," Carlisle said. "Hopeful he practices Monday and plays Tuesday."

Why any Haliburton injury news hits different

You know why everybody flinched. Haliburton tore his right Achilles on June 22, 2025, in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Thunder, per Yahoo Sports. He missed the entire 2025-26 season, and Indiana stumbled to a 19-63 finish, the worst record in franchise history.

So when the word "ankle" pops up on the same leg, the timeline gets checked fast. This sounds like the boring kind of preseason caution, not a setback. Carlisle made a point of saying the Achilles itself looks great.

Haliburton has been clear about where he stands. "Before you ask a question, I am healthy," he said at media day, per WRTV. "I am 100%. There will be no restrictions."

What the comeback looked like so far

His first game back came at Hilton Coliseum, his old college home at Iowa State, where the Pacers beat the Timberwolves 123-112. Haliburton played 16 minutes, all in the first half, and finished with 7 points, 6 assists, 2 blocks and a steal on 3-of-8 shooting, per Yahoo Sports. He even bought tickets for the student section before the game.

He turned it over on Indiana's first possession, then drilled a 15-footer for the Pacers' first points. Rust and all, it was a real game again.

The starting group that night is the one fans want to see a lot more of: Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac, who came over from the Clippers at last season's trade deadline and played only five games for Indiana before being shut down.

Next up: a trip to OKC

If the ankle cooperates, Haliburton's next shot is Tuesday at the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center, 8 p.m. ET. If not, Carlisle said the plan is to get him ready for the preseason finale against the Bucks on Oct. 16 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The games that count start Oct. 21 in New Orleans, with the home opener against Dallas on Oct. 23. In 2024-25, his last season before the injury, Haliburton averaged 18.6 points and 9.2 assists, per Yahoo Sports. Fantasy managers who grabbed him at a discount are not sweating a rest night in October.

And yes, the first place he might suit up next is the same building, against the same team, from the night his Achilles gave out. Tuesday in OKC just got a lot more interesting.