Kings fans gave Tyrese Haliburton a well-deserved warm welcome back to Golden 1 Center. Buddy Hield did not receive the same treatment.
Haliburton, the former first-round pick and fan-favorite in Sacramento before being traded to Indiana before last year’s deadline, was greeted with a rousing standing ovation when his name was called in the Pacers’ starting lineup.
Hield, who played for the Kings for five-and-a-half seasons before being sent to Indiana in the same trade, was welcomed back with a mixture of boos, which continued every time he touched the basketball over the Pacers’ first few possessions.
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In 109 games with the Kings, Haliburton averaged 13.6 points, 6.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game. Haliburton went off for 13 points and career-high 17 assists Feb. 5 last season, which ended up being his final game in a Kings uniform before the trade.
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Hield, the Kings’ franchise leader in 3-point attempts (3,101) and makes (1,248), logged 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and shot 40.2 percent from deep in 385 games in a Kings uniform.
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Haliburton, Hield and the Pacers brought a 12-8 record into Wednesday night’s clash.