Tyrese Haliburton is finally back. It was a long year. A long, long year for him to be gone. The Indiana Pacers went from an NBA Finals team to one of the Eastern Conference’s bottom-feeders. But Haliburton is back, the Pacers picked up a win in their season opener, and nobody should be happier about the point guard’s return than Pascal Siakam.
Indiana barely squeaked out a win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. It was a close contest, but some clutch plays from Haliburton and Siakam sealed the game down the stretch. Siakam, in particular, was incredible. And it just feels like he was rejuvenated by Haliburton’s return.
When Haliburton is on the court, life is easier for everyone on the offensive end – especially Siakam.
Tyrese Haliburton unlocks another level of Pascal Siakam
In the Pacers’ first game of the season, Siakam was the best player on the court for long stretches of the contest. He put up monster stats and helped Indiana secure the victory.
By the end of the night, Siakam had 30 points, eight rebounds, one assist, and one steal. He shot 13-of-23 from the floor and 1-of-3 from beyond the three-point line.
Haliburton, meanwhile, put up some impressive numbers of his own. He finished with 23 points, two rebounds, and 12 assists on 7-of-12 shooting from the field and 4-of-9 from distance.
The chemistry between Haliburton and Siakam, when it’s at its best, is some of the best in the league. And throughout the course of Wednesday night’s game, the flashes were very clearly there.
The most notable examples are the outlet passes. Siakam has the ability to be a monster in transition, and nobody is better at finding him than Haliburton when he’s sprinting the court.
"Another pass that only 0 can make."
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 22, 2026
Tyrese Haliburton will find Pascal Siakam anywhere 👀 pic.twitter.com/EvUrDvqKVF
Whether it’s in the pick-and-roll, coming out of off-ball movement, or those runs in transition, the Haliburton-Siakam connection is strong. It always has been, and both guys are going to work to get it back to its peak form.
In just their first game back together, four of Haliburton’s 12 assists were to Siakam. That’s a third of his dimes. Eight of Siakam’s 30 points came directly from the hands of Haliburton.
Obviously, Siakam is a great player in his own right. He doesn’t need Haliburton to be a good player. But having him by his side certainly makes life a lot easier.
That’s what was clear on Wednesday night. Having Haliburton out there just unlocks a whole other level that Siakam is able to get to.
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