Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers are a year removed from the NBA Finals. The Pacers dealt with serious injury blows in 2025-26, losing Haliburton for the entire season. But hopes are higher heading into the 2026-27 regular season.
The NBA released the 2026-27 regular season schedule earlier this month. The schedule includes all of the national TV games. However, the Pacers are not getting a ton of love right now.
Indiana will open the 2026-27 regular season season against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 21. The game will not be nationally televised.
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Haliburton made it clear that he wasn't happy on a recent episode of the Numbers on the Board podcast.
Indiana Pacers star sounds off
Haliburton wants to be on national TV for his first game back.
“Name any other person that you compare to my level of a basketball player, wherever you have me ranked, if they tore their Achilles and missed 16 months, do you think that [first game back] would be on national TV?” Haliburton asked rhetorically. “Do you think that game would be at home if not on national television? Do you think that game would be at New Orleans?
“When I saw the schedule I was like, ‘Oh, wow.’ I was shocked to see that. But we move on.”
The Pacers have just 11 national television games during the 2026-27 season, but with flex scheduling, it's possible that they could end up with more, if they play like their 2024-25 selves and contend for a title.
