The Indiana Pacers had a stunning 20-6 run in the final minutes to steal a Game 1 victory against the New York Knicks. The fans at Madison Square Garden sat comfortably with 3 minutes to go, preparing for their journey back home. But Tyrese Haliburton and Co. had other plans as they produced a comeback to win the game in overtime.
This year’s playoffs continue to surprise the fans, and the Pacers have every reason to rejoice following this victory. They defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, the #1 Cleveland Cavaliers, and now lead against the mighty Knicks. The celebrations are out, and Haliburton’s father, John Haliburton, couldn’t contain his excitement.
Tyrese Haliburton’s Father Celebrates the Indiana Pacers’ Stunning Comeback Victory
The streets of New York won’t rest easy tonight with Haliburton wiping away those overrated player voting results. At the last minute of the contest, he picked up the ball to tie the game while shooting a turnaround jumper, as the ball bounced on the rim, went high up in the air, and fell into the basket — a bit of Kawhi Leonard vs the Philadelphia 76ers kind of like magic from Haliburton there.
It sparked wild celebrations from the bench as the Pacers trailed the Knicks by 17 points at one point. Haliburton’s father, John, who’s banned from attending the Pacers game, celebrated in a bar with a banner of his son’s face on it.
Likewise, Haliburton hit the infamous Reggie Miller choke celebration while hitting the game-tying two-pointer, and Haliburton’s father mimicked the same celebration in the viral video.
Tyrese Halliburton’s dad wildin at the bar after Game 1 😭
(via @pplcallme_Ky) pic.twitter.com/BQ1ydXr66F
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 22, 2025
Some fans on social media reacted, “They gotta let him back at the arena man 😭,” and another reacted, “Free Pops,” after he received a ban for his antics against the Bucks.
After the Pacers defeated the Bucks, John came onto the court and mocked Giannis Antetokounmpo with his son’s banner. They had a heated moment, and Antetokounmpo mentioned, “His dad coming on the floor and showing me his son — a towel with his face on [it], [saying] ‘This is what we do. We do this.’ I feel like that’s very, very disrespectful.”
The NBA handed John an indefinite ban, and he can’t attend games for the foreseeable future. If it gets overturned, he could see his son probably putting on an offensive clinic like he did in Game 1.
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Haliburton scored 31 points, had 11 assists, and kept attacking the rim at the end. He and his teammates didn’t give up, and they showed why they reached the Eastern Conference Finals and were having a dream playoff run.
This series will be interesting heading into Game 2, and the Pacers have the advantage, as they have had in previous games.