Haliburton returns with 23 points as the Pacers edge the Pelicans 123-120

Tyrese Haliburton scored 23 points with 12 assists Wednesday night in his first regular-season game since rupturing his right Achilles tendon 16 months ago, and the Indiana Pacers beat the New Orleans Pelicans 123-120 at Smoothie King Center. Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 30 points, 18 of them in the fourth quarter.

Haliburton shot 8 of 15 and 5 of 5 from the line in 34 minutes, according to the ESPN box score. The Pacers posted video of him walking off the floor afterward, and of him breaking down during his postgame TV interview.

Indiana led 38-31 after the first quarter, then scored only 18 points in the second and trailed 66-56 at halftime. It was 92-86 New Orleans entering the fourth, and the Pelicans pushed the lead to 101-93.

That's when Haliburton took over. He scored eight of Indiana's 10 points in a 90-second span, and the Pacers went on a 15-3 run to lead 108-104, per the Associated Press. Zion Williamson tied it at 116 with a driving three-point play, but Haliburton scored on the next two trips down the floor to put Indiana up 121-118. Quenton Jackson closed it with two free throws.

Siakam shot 13 of 23. Obi Toppin added 20 points off the bench with four 3-pointers, Andrew Nembhard had 18 points and nine assists, and Ivica Zubac scored 16 points with a double-double on the glass. Indiana won the fourth quarter 37-28.

Dejounte Murray led New Orleans with 23 points and seven assists. Williamson scored 22 on 7-of-16 shooting, and Yves Missi had 13 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. Derik Queen added 10 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

Haliburton finished at minus-4, the only Indiana starter with a negative plus-minus. Indiana is 1-0 and leads the season series with New Orleans. The thing to track over the next few weeks is his workload. He played 34 minutes in his first game back and carried the offense late, and how Indiana manages those minutes early in the season will shape how much of that closing role he keeps.