Tyrese Haliburton shines in return, Central Division roundup

Tyrese Haliburton put the Indiana Pacers and the entire Central Division back in the spotlight for the right reasons. While the Cleveland Cavaliers opened their season with a loss in Philadelphia, the All-Star point guard made a highly anticipated and successful return from injury.

Haliburton sparks comeback in first official game back

According to Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com, Haliburton played in New Orleans in his first official game since tearing his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. In that return, he led the Pacers to a comeback road victory, steering a late surge on the Pelicans’ home court in New Orleans.

ESPN.com notes that Haliburton finished with 23 points and that 16 of those came in the fourth quarter, underscoring how heavily Indiana leaned on him down the stretch. CBS Sports reports that the Pacers guard was moved to tears following this first non-preseason game since his injury, a reaction that framed just how meaningful the night was for him and for the franchise. The win pushes Indiana to 1-0 and gives the Pacers an early foothold near the top of the Central Division standings.

Cavaliers drop opener in Philadelphia

The Cleveland Cavaliers were the only other Central team in action, falling 114-106 on the road to the Philadelphia 76ers. The loss starts Cleveland at 0-1 in a division where the Pacers (1-0) and Detroit Pistons (1-0) already have wins on the board, while the Chicago Bulls (0-1) and Milwaukee Bucks (0-1) are also looking to climb after early setbacks.

The Bulls, Pistons and Bucks were all idle over the last 24 hours and did not figure into the news cycle, but in a Central Division that already has Haliburton’s comeback headlining the early storylines, every result is beginning to shape the race.