MILWAUKEE — Tyrese Haliburton says he has no physical restrictions this season after sitting out all of last season and having 16 months to rehab and recover from the Achilles tendon tear he suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. But that’s not the same as saying his body doesn’t require any treatment or precautions, especially when he’s playing both nights of back-to-backs.
Haliburton played just under 35 minutes in the Pacers’ 110-102 loss to the Bucks on Monday night, posting 22 points, nine assists and six rebounds. To keep his muscles loose during the periods he was out of the game, he rode a stationary bike in the tunnel between the Pacers’ bench and locker room and had wraps on his legs.
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Haliburton said he doesn’t have an injury exactly but he is feeling the toll of the season’s first four games and his first back-to-back.
“I’m a little beat up, but I’ll be fine,” Haliburton said. When asked on him was beat up, he said, “Overall body.”
Haliburton said that although he is fully recovered and spent all offseason conditioning his body, the start of the season hits hard and it’s hitting harder now because of how long it’s been since he played an NBA game. Though Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said the team will be watching him closely when they’re making decisions for participating in back-to-backs, Haliburton expects his ability to withstand them to improve as the season goes on.
“The cardio part of it is a big thing in early preseason, early season feeling it,” Haliburton said. “But just getting my legs back is the biggest thing. It’s hard to prepare for my leg fatigue. Jump shots and all those things. I”ll just keep pushing through it. It will take a couple weeks, but I’ll get where I need to be.”
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Haliburton is averaging 21.8 points and 9.5 assists per game through the first four games.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why Tyrese Haliburton was riding an exercise bike during Monday’s game
