Tempers flared at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday night as the Indiana Pacers edged out the Milwaukee Bucks 119-118 in a dramatic overtime victory to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The game’s conclusion was marred by heated on-court altercations, including a tense exchange between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tyrese Haliburton’s father, John Haliburton.
The Pacers sealed the series 4-1 after Haliburton scored the game-winning lay-up with 1.3 seconds remaining, completing an 8-0 run in the final minute.
As fans stormed the court to celebrate, Antetokounmpo was approached by Haliburton’s father, who taunted him with a towel bearing his son’s face.
“At that moment I thought it was a fan, but then I realised it was Tyrese’s dad,” Antetokounmpo said postgame. “I believe in being humble in victory. Coming to me, disrespecting me, cursing at me — it’s totally unacceptable.”
Video footage showed Antetokounmpo and John Haliburton engaging in a brief but intense verbal exchange, going forehead-to-forehead before being separated.
The Bucks forward later confirmed the encounter and noted, “I talked with him at the end, and I think we’re in a good place.”
Tyrese Haliburton, unaware of the incident until after the game, addressed it in the locker room. “I don’t think my pops was in the right,” he said. “We talked about it. Basketball is basketball. Let’s keep it on the court.”
The night also featured a separate scuffle between Antetokounmpo and Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin during the postgame handshake line.
Details remain unclear, but the two had to be separated after Mathurin appeared to say something during a hug and grabbed Antetokounmpo.
Despite the loss, Antetokounmpo posted a commanding triple-double with 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 13 assists.
Haliburton contributed 26 points and nine assists, guiding Indiana to its first second-round appearance since 2014.
They will now face the Cleveland Cavaliers, who swept the Miami Heat in their opening-round series.
The defeat ends the Bucks’ hopes of a second championship since their 2021 title and raises fresh questions about Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee.
With no first-round draft picks, an aging core, and star guard Damian Lillard potentially out for the next season with a torn Achilles, speculation has intensified over whether the two-time MVP might seek a trade.
While Antetokounmpo emphasized his commitment to professionalism, he did not shy away from making his feelings known. “I’ve won a championship,” he stated. “They haven’t.”
With regards to his conduct, Bucks’ head coach Doc Rivers stated Giannis was ‘one of one’ and that he had an ‘MVP’ regular season in the NBA.
He was quick to state that he was ‘proud’ of Giannis, even in the face of his conduct, especially since he sees him like a ‘leader.’
Giannis might also be sanctioned by the NBA, in case his conduct is found to be aggravating.
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