AMES — Former Iowa State superstar Tyrese Haliburton is coming home—and he is bringing the Indiana Pacers with him.
The Pacers will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in an NBA preseason exhibition game at Hilton Coliseum at 6 p.m. Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
The matchup is expected to mark Haliburton’s long-awaited return to competition after he missed the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from a torn right Achilles tendon.
Haliburton suffered the devastating injury during the first quarter of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pacers eventually fell 103-91, ending their bid for the franchise’s first NBA championship.
Iowa State announced Wednesday that Haliburton is set to return to action for the upcoming season. His appearance at Hilton would bring him back to the court where he became one of the most exciting players in Cyclone basketball history.
The Timberwolves are led by explosive guard Anthony Edwards, who was selected as a Western Conference All-Star again in 2026.
Tickets go on sale September 9. Fans may request additional ticket information at pacers.com/iowastate.
NBA returns to Hilton
The October matchup will be the fourth NBA exhibition game played at Hilton Coliseum and the first in eight years.
Hilton’s previous NBA exhibitions were:
1991 — Milwaukee Bucks vs. Phoenix Suns, featuring former Cyclones Jeff Grayer and Jeff Hornacek
1999 — Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks, featuring former Cyclone Fred Hoiberg and former Iowa State coach Tim Floyd
2018 — Milwaukee Bucks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves will now return to Ames for the second consecutive NBA exhibition staged at Hilton.
Haliburton became Cyclone star
Haliburton played two seasons for Iowa State before the Sacramento Kings selected him with the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. NIT reported at the time that Haliburton became the 41st Cyclone selected in the NBA Draft.
His sophomore season ended after 22 games because of a wrist injury, but his performance had already established him as one of the Big 12’s best guards.
Haliburton averaged 15.2 points, 6.5 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game during the 2019-20 season.
He led the Big 12 in assists and steals, shot 50.4 percent from the floor and connected on 41.9 percent of his three-point attempts.
Haliburton earned second-team All-Big 12 honors, received all-district recognition and became a finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award.
From Ames to NBA Finals
Haliburton finished third in NBA Rookie of the Year voting in 2021 and later emerged as the centerpiece of the Pacers after being traded by Sacramento.
He was selected for the NBA All-Star Game in 2023 and 2024. His first selection made him only the second former Cyclone at that time to earn an NBA All-Star berth.
Haliburton also earned All-NBA Third Team honors in both 2024 and 2025 and led the league with 10.9 assists per game during the 2023-24 season.
He helped the United States win an Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games, becoming the first former Iowa State basketball player to earn Olympic gold.
Haliburton then led Indiana on a thrilling 2025 playoff run that carried the franchise to only its second NBA Finals appearance.
Now entering his seventh NBA season and fifth with Indiana, Haliburton will attempt to revive the Pacers following a difficult year without him—and his road back will include a highly anticipated homecoming at Hilton Coliseum.