The Indiana Pacers staged a late rally to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 119-118 on Tuesday, April 29, finishing off their first-round series with a 4-1 victory.
Following the game, star guard Tyrese Haliburton was surrounded by controversy that had nothing to do with any actions of his own.
Tyrese Haliburton’s Father Creates a Stir Post-Game
Haliburton led the way for the Pacers with 26 points, getting several clutch buckets, including Indy’s last six points in regulation. Haliburton cut the Bucks’ lead to 101-99 with a layup with 1:13 to go. Following a Giannis Antetokounmpo floater, Haliburton drew a foul and hit two free throws to again cut the lead to two.
On the Bucks’ subsequent possession, the Pacers got the stop they needed, and Haliburton threw down a dunk to tie the game with 10.1 seconds to go. Antetokounmpo couldn’t get his last-second jumper to fall, and the game went to overtime.
The Bucks built a seven-point lead in the extra frame with just 39 seconds left, but the Pacers scored the game’s final eight points, with the last six once again coming from Haliburton, including the game-winning layup with just 1.1 seconds to play.
The two-time All-Star’s father, John Haliburton, came onto the court following the game. He had a flag with his son’s face on it and appeared to taunt Antetokounmpo, using language the Bucks star seemingly did not appreciate.
“Losing a game, emotions run high,” Antetokounmpo explained. “I thought it was a fan. It was his dad. I love Tyrese. I think he’s a great competitor. His dad coming on the floor and showing me his son’s towel with his face. ‘This is what we do. This is what the f*** we do.’ That’s very, very disrespectful.”
Haliburton’s Father Apologizes for His Actions, Faces Consequences
“I sincerely apologize to Giannis, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Pacers organization for my actions following tonight’s game,” Haliburton’s father said. “This was not a good reflection on our sport, or my son and I will not make that mistake again.”
Despite the apology, Haliburton’s actions did have consequences.
“After conversations with Tyrese Haliburton’s father John Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers front office, John Haliburton will not attend the team’s home and road games for the foreseeable future, a Pacers spokesperson told ESPN,” reported ESPN’s Shams Charania on X.
This was a decision made by the Pacers front office and John Haliburton was understanding and accepted the choice after confronting Giannis Antetokounmpo on the court postgame Tuesday night. https://t.co/8FnFQSOIAZ
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania)
“This was a decision made by the Pacers front office and John Haliburton was understanding and accepted the choice after confronting Giannis Antetokounmpo on the court postgame Tuesday night.”
Although one would like to think this situation would keep Haliburton’s father from ever stepping foot on the court like that again, keeping him off the court, at least for the immediate future, may be the best for everyone involved, specifically for his son, who had to deal with the aftermath.
“He needs to just allow me to play basketball and stay over there, and I’ll come to him to celebrate,” Haliburton said. “But the emotions of the game got excited there. I talked with him. I’ll talk with Giannis. I don’t think my pops was in the right at all there.”
The Pacers’ victory earned them a date with the East’s top seed, the 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs defeated the Miami Heat in their first-round series in historic fashion, completing the biggest series blowout in NBA history.
The two teams met four times this season, with the Pacers winning three of the four meetings, including a 2-0 record in Cleveland, where Game 1 will take place. That game will tip off on Sunday, May 4. The time has not yet been set at the moment of publication.
