Nearly 16 months after he last suited up for an NBA game, Tyrese Halliburton returned to action in Art Pacers» preseason start Wednesday after recovering from a torn Achilles. How ESPN’s Jamal Collier writes, getting back up to game speed wasn’t a problem for Halliburton against the Timberwolves — in fact, the star point guard felt like he was moving too quickly in his first game.
“It’s the first game, but we just need to slow down” Halliburton said. “It was just a lot of adrenaline. I was excited to be there, excited, but I just needed to slow down a little bit.”
While it was a major rebuilding milestone for Halliburton, who had seven points, six assists and a pair of blocks in 16 minutes, the game was special for him for another reason. It was played at the 26-year-old’s alma mater, Iowa State, and he bought out the student section on both ends of the arena, making those tickets available to students on a first-come, first-served basis, Collier notes.
“This is the loudest preseason game I’ve ever been to.” Halliburton said. “But it’s been a lot of fun, a lot of special memories I’ve made here, and this just adds to it.”
We’ve got more of everything Central:
- Share your findings with Pacerspreseason opener Tony East of Circle City Spin notices that Obie Toppin acted as the team’s small ball center in the first half and played alongside the forwards Pascal Siakam and Jarras Walker. Backup Center Jay Huff he ended up logging 17 minutes in the second half, but wasn’t part of the rotation in the “competitive part” of the game that East sees as noteworthy.
- Bucks general manager John Horst tells Jim Owcharski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the team is open to engaging in contract extension negotiations with new players such as Jaime Haques Jreven before they made their regular season debut for Milwaukee. With that in mind, Owcharski looks at what an extension could look like for Jaquez, suggesting that something in the $15-18 million per year range could make sense for both sides.
- Jalen Duren was a late arrival to training camp after facing restricted free agency that lasted virtually the entire offseason, but Pistons head coach J. Bickerstaff said Wednesday that the plan is “definitely” for the big man to meet during the preseason. By Amari Sankoff II of The Detroit Free Press has a story suggesting Duren’s preseason debut could come as early as Saturday against Washington.
- U his latest mailbag for Pistons.comKeith Langlois answers questions related to Pistons‘ secondary play that John Collins will bring to the composition that Tobias Harris did not, and whether Okorie shares and Chaz Lanier will crack the Bickerstaff rotation in 2026/27.
