Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton took part in a five-on-five scrimmage Wednesday, his first since tearing his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. The workout comes in week 41 of his rehabilitation, two weeks shy of the 43-week timeline that marked Jayson Tatum’s return from a similar injury with Boston. Haliburton has said he is avoiding firm statistical goals for next season, focusing instead on “being the best version” of himself. The 26-year-old also revealed he battled a case of shingles while rehabbing the Achilles.
The Detroit Pistons welcomed Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart back to the lineup against Milwaukee on Wednesday. Cunningham had missed 11 games with a left lung pneumothorax, his longest absence since the 2022-23 campaign. Dr. Daniel H. Sterman, director of pulmonology at NYU Langone Medical Center, told The Athletic the guard’s injury is unlikely to recur because it resulted from contact rather than a spontaneous event.
Stewart returned from a left calf strain that sidelined him after he initially tried to play through the pain. The fourth-year center said the break allowed him to heal fully in time for the postseason, though he expressed disappointment that the time missed leaves him short of eligibility for end-of-season awards. Stewart was considered a potential All-Defensive vote-getter before the injury.
In Cleveland, James Harden has transferred his long-standing road-game routine to the Cavaliers after arriving in the trade that sent Darius Garland to Houston. The veteran guard organizes walk-throughs in hotel ballrooms when shootarounds are not scheduled, a practice he says sharpens both physical readiness and game-plan awareness. Head coach Kenny Atkinson admitted initial skepticism but now values the added preparation, calling Harden’s quick adjustment to the Cavaliers’ style “rare.”
Source: HoopsRumors
