Wednesday’s NBA finals: Haliburton returns, Bucks rally and reserves finish wins

Tyrese Haliburton returned in Ames, Damian Lillard returned in Portland, and Milwaukee erased a large deficit in Oklahoma City during Wednesday’s NBA preseason slate. Indiana, Orlando, Milwaukee, Chicago and Portland won the five completed games.

Indiana 123, Minnesota 112

Haliburton finished with seven points and six assists in 16 minutes on his former college floor at Hilton Coliseum. It was his first NBA appearance since the Achilles injury in Game 7 of the 2025 Finals. Indiana trailed by four at halftime before its reserves took over.

Jay Huff scored 14 of his 16 points in the third quarter, while Jarace Walker finished with 10 assists. Ben Sheppard then scored seven straight Pacers points after Minnesota cut the lead to one early in the fourth. Indiana’s 39 assists and 17 made threes helped complete the homecoming win.

Read the full Pacers-Timberwolves recap.

Orlando 122, Memphis 118

Desmond Bane made all three of his three-point attempts in his first trip back to Memphis with Orlando. Tristan da Silva led the Magic with 19 points, and the team made 20 threes in Sean Sweeney’s preseason debut as head coach.

The finish was tighter than that shooting suggested. Walter Clayton Jr.’s late three brought Memphis within one. Kevin Knox II made four free throws in the final seven seconds to protect Orlando’s lead. Alex Morales added 10 rebounds and the Magic’s final field goal.

Read the full Magic-Grizzlies recap.

Milwaukee 128, Oklahoma City 126

The Bucks trailed 91-70 in the third quarter, then scored 19 straight points. Brayden Burries tied the game with a dunk at 1:04 of the fourth, and Cormac Ryan’s layup put Milwaukee ahead with 28.7 seconds left. Burries and Ousmane Dieng followed with the free throws that preserved the lead.

Aday Mara scored 22 points on perfect 10-for-10 shooting for Oklahoma City. Milwaukee also had an injury setback: ESPN’s injury listing identifies Nate Ament’s injury as a left ankle sprain. He finished with three points and four rebounds in 10 minutes.

Read the full Bucks-Thunder recap.

Chicago 124, Phoenix 117

Drew Peterson’s three started an 11-0 Chicago run after Phoenix took a two-point lead late in the fourth. Caleb Wilson scored 15 points in his preseason debut, while Tobe Awaka had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Leonard Miller added seven points in the final 1:09.

Dillon Brooks scored 24 for the Suns, but Devin Booker shot 3-for-14 and missed all eight of his threes. Chicago made 28 of 32 free throws and finished its opener with a win; Phoenix fell to 0-2.

Read the full Bulls-Suns recap.

Portland 123, Golden State 118

Lillard scored 15 points in 19 minutes after missing last season while recovering from an Achilles injury. Deni Avdija led Portland with 23. Miles Kelly scored 24 for Golden State, and Dalen Terry added 23 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.

With the game tied entering the fourth, Portland’s reserves created room. Micah Potter’s late three helped the Blazers withstand four Golden State threes in the final 68 seconds. John Tonje stole Terry’s final pass to finish the win.

Read the full Warriors-Trail Blazers recap.