Haliburton, Lillard Return as NBA China Games Tip Off in Macao

Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard each put an Achilles comeback on the preseason ledger Wednesday, while the NBA’s Macao trip moves from fan events to actual games Friday morning. Haliburton returned in the building where he played at Iowa State; Lillard checked back in front of Portland fans for the first time since 2023. Elsewhere, Sacramento rookie Darius Acuff Jr. is back on the floor against the Lakers Thursday, and No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa could make his first preseason appearance at Madison Square Garden.

Haliburton’s return landed at home

Haliburton had not played since tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Sixteen months later, Indiana gave him a preseason stage at Hilton Coliseum, the arena where his college career took off.

He wore No. 22 during introductions, a nod to his Iowa State number, before returning to his usual No. 0 for the game. The crowd stood for him, and Haliburton opened the scoring for the Pacers. All 16 of his minutes came before halftime; he also made a 3-pointer and recorded two blocks before greeting family members near the court.

“It’s been 472 days since I played a game of basketball,” Haliburton told the crowd before tipoff. “I wouldn’t want to do it anywhere else but my second home.” Afterward, he said simply being back on the floor meant everything to him.

Indiana pulled away from Minnesota despite 19 points and four 3-pointers from Anthony Edwards. LaMelo Ball added 14 points, seven assists and four made 3s for the Wolves.

Lillard, Morant give Portland a new backcourt look

Lillard’s first shot in his first Blazers appearance since 2023 was a 3-pointer, and the building reacted accordingly. He finished with 15 points and three triples in 19 minutes as Portland beat Golden State, 123-118.

Ja Morant made his Blazers debut beside him, posting eight points and five assists. Deni Avdija led Portland with 23 points. For Golden State, Miles Kelly filled the line with 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

The Bulls, Bucks and Magic also collected preseason wins Wednesday.

Oklahoma City’s rookies were productive in the narrow loss: Aday Mara went for 22 points, six rebounds and a perfect 10-for-10 shooting night, while Bennett Stirtz scored 20 and hit four 3s. Seven Milwaukee players reached double figures.

Macao is ready for Rockets-Mavericks

Houston and Dallas have traveled more than 8,000 miles from Texas for the NBA China Games in Macao. After practices, public appearances and a few days around the city, the teams meet Friday at The Venetian in the first of two exhibitions.

The matchup places two Western Conference clubs with different timelines but similar urgency in the same building. Dallas is building around reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg and awaits the return of nine-time All-Star Kyrie Irving from an ACL injury. Houston brings a deep young group led by Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson, with 16-time All-Star Kevin Durant now providing the veteran scoring centerpiece.

The Mavericks are trying to get back to the postseason for the first time since their 2024 Finals run. Houston is looking to push beyond the opening round after consecutive first-round exits.

Durant spent part of Wednesday signing for fans wearing his jersey. Sengun and Thompson worked on recreating Nikola Jokić’s no-look pass from last weekend during Houston practice. Steven Adams and Bogdan Bogdanović took in Macao’s streets and local food, while shooting instructor Lethal Shooter put up shots on an LED court outside The Venetian.

Acuff gets a second look at the Lakers

Acuff did not need a long runway in Sacramento’s preseason opener. The No. 7 pick attacked full-court pressure on the Kings’ third possession, shook free and finished at the rim for Sacramento’s first basket. He went on to score 19 points in a 17-point first half against Los Angeles.

Luka Dončić, the reigning scoring champion, had 21 points and three assists before halftime in the Lakers’ win. The rematch comes Thursday night in Los Angeles.

Acuff, 19, entered the league after a freshman season at Arkansas in which he was named SEC Player of the Year. He joined Pete Maravich as the only players to lead the conference in scoring and assists in the same season.

“He’s a walking bucket,” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said of Acuff. “You watch him in person and you’re like, ‘My God, who’s going to stop this guy?’”

Kings coach Doug Christie has liked the rookie’s early processing speed. “He understands angles,” Christie said after Tuesday’s practice. “Understands when to shoot, when to pass … that’s really high-level. It’s an honor to coach him.”

Dybantsa and LeBron remain preseason watch items

Washington’s visit to the defending champion Knicks could bring the first preseason look at Dybantsa, the top overall selection in the draft. Anthony Davis, himself a former No. 1 pick, said Dybantsa has “all the tools” to succeed in the league and called him a special talent.

Philadelphia visits Brooklyn at 7:30 p.m. ET on League Pass, with LeBron James still waiting to make his preseason debut for the 76ers. The Western Conference champion Spurs begin their preseason against Atlanta at 8 p.m. ET. Celtics-Cavaliers starts at 7 p.m. ET, and Pelicans-Heat follows at 7:30 p.m. ET, both on League Pass.

Scoring race has familiar names at the front

Dončić starts the 2026-27 season as the player to catch after averaging 33.5 points last year. He led the league with 44 games of at least 30 points and had 16 games with 40 or more. With James no longer on the Lakers, the roster has been reshaped around Dončić’s offensive workload.

Gilgeous-Alexander enters after breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s 63-year-old mark for consecutive 20-point games, reaching 126 straight last March. He still finished second in last year’s scoring race despite not playing 26 fourth quarters.

Anthony Edwards has steadily improved as a perimeter shooter to complement his athletic finishing. Nikola Jokić averaged 27.7 points, eighth in the NBA, while shooting 56.9% from the field last season. Victor Wembanyama’s all-court skill set also gives him a plausible path to his first scoring crown.

Northwest Division arrives with different pressures

Utah added Kansas guard Darryn Peterson in the draft, giving its developing core another ready-made contributor as the franchise continues to build toward its first playoff return since 2022.

Denver again leans on Jokić, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon as its tested championship-level core. Oklahoma City faces a new level of Western competition, particularly from San Antonio, as both clubs chase control of the conference now and in the years ahead.

Minnesota believes the pairing of Ball and Edwards can keep its window open. Both are 25, and Ball’s playmaking is meant to complement Edwards’ scoring punch. Portland ended a four-year playoff drought after getting above .500 last season, but the Blazers will need more in a crowded West.

The regular season is 12 days away, with the 2026-27 schedule opening Tuesday, Oct. 20, on an NBC and Peacock tripleheader.