Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was caught off guard by a postgame altercation between his teammates and the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night, not realizing what had happened until he saw the replay in the locker room. Haliburton, who had just made the game-winning layup with 1.3 seconds remaining to secure a 119-118 victory and a 4-1 series win, was surprised to see his father, John Haliburton, on the court confronting Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“I had no idea it happened until I got back to the locker room and they showed me the video of my pops,” said Haliburton, a two-time All-Star. “We had a little talk about it. I don’t agree with what transpired there. I think basketball is basketball, and let’s keep it on the court. I think he just got excited.”
Antetokounmpo, visibly frustrated after his team let a seven-point lead slip in the final 40 seconds of overtime, wasn’t pleased with the scene either. The Bucks’ star, who had posted 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 13 assists in the game, initially mistook John Haliburton for a fan who had run onto the court. He expressed that it was disrespectful for John to display a towel with his son’s image while shouting, “this is what we (expletive) do.”
Haliburton responded with genuine regret over the incident, saying he would eventually reach out to Antetokounmpo to apologize. “I don’t think my pops was in the right at all there. It’s unfortunate what happened at the end there,” he said. “We’ll have a conversation.”
Antetokounmpo, who has had his own family’s emotional presence in his career, shared a personal story from the Bucks’ 2020-21 championship season, recalling how his mother attended every game and even felt uncertain about whether she could hug him on the court after winning the title. He pointed out that his family members don’t typically sit courtside for games.
This latest incident adds to the increasingly intense rivalry between the Pacers and Bucks, who have faced off 20 times over the past two seasons. The Pacers have won eight of their last 11 playoff games against Milwaukee, including both postseason series.
