Opening week in the NBA gave us four returns that really mattered. Tyrese Haliburton, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, and Fred VanVleet all came back Thursday after missing last season to injury, and they didn’t come back quietly.
Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers)
It was a first NBA game that counted in 486 days for the Pacers’ point guard, who tore his right Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 Finals. He picked up where he left off, scoring 13 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and adding 12 assists to lead Indiana past the New Orleans Pelicans, 123-120. He put the Pacers ahead for good with a driving basket with 1:23 to play, then was overcome with emotion in his postgame interview. Indiana went 19-63 without him. The difference is obvious.
Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)
Dame is back to playing in the NBA, and so is the Rip City romance. His first bucket in his second stint with the Blazers was a catch-and-shoot triple, and it was like he never left. He finished with 25 points (six threes) and 6 assists in 24 minutes as Portland blew out the Phoenix Suns, 124-83, in a game that also showed off a new backcourt with Ja Morant. It was Lillard’s first regular-season game as a Blazer since March 2023 and his first anywhere since tearing his Achilles in the 2025 playoffs.
Kyrie Irving (Dallas Maverics) and Fred VanVleet (Houston Rockets)
Irving and VanVleet faced off in the same game, and the Rockets won it, 128-110. Irving’s first appearance for Dallas in 597 days showed glimpses of his best, as he scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting in about 23 minutes. VanVleet, who tore his ACL in September 2025, was quieter on the scoresheet but louder where it counts: 6 points, 11 assists, 3 steals, and 0 turnovers in 30 minutes. He reassumed the primary facilitating role for Houston. Sometimes a point guard’s best stat line is no mistakes.
Also on the NBA Slate
Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors. The Raptors welcomed The Klaw back to Toronto with a 135-92 blowout of the Chicago Bulls, and he scored 23 points. He looked relaxed, making plays on both ends. It was as if he just picked up from where he left off—and he left winning the NBA championship for the city.
Anthony Davis, Washington Wizards. The injury that derailed his last season is in the rearview. Davis scored 34 points with 12 grabbed rebounds in his Washington debut, as the Wizards beat the Milwaukee Bucks, 128-116. Trae Young added 20 points and 13 assists, and he showed that he and Davis comprise a pick-and-roll pairing worth watching.
