INDIANAPOLIS (AP) 鈥� Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was so excited about Indiana's improbable overtime rally that he didn't realize between his teammates and the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.
Then he got to the locker room, watched the replay and winced when he saw his father, John, on the court, confronting two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
鈥淚 had no idea it happened until I got back to the locker room and they showed me the video of my pops,鈥� the two-time All-Star said after he made and a 4-1 series win. 鈥淲e 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 wasn't pleased, either, after his team blew a seven-point lead in the final 40 seconds of overtime, sending the Bucks to their third straight first-round exit. The two-time MVP didn't recognize John Haliburton, thinking he was just another fan who had run onto the court.
Antetokounmpo said he likes Haliburton, calling him a great competitor, but he said John Haliburton displaying a towel with his son's image while yelling 鈥渢his is what we (expletive) do鈥� was wrong.
鈥淚 feel like that鈥檚 very, very disrespectful,鈥� said Antetokounmpo, who finished with 30 points, 20 rebounds and 13 assists.
Haliburton seemed genuinely upset about the incident, promising to reach out to Antetokounmpo before the teams play again.
鈥淚鈥檒l talk to Giannis about it eventually,鈥� said Haliburton, who grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think my pops was in the right at all there. It鈥檚 unfortunate what happened at the end there.
鈥淚t鈥檚 unfortunate what happened there (the scuffle), but I think it鈥檚 just competition,鈥� he added. 鈥淎s far as my pops, I don鈥檛 agree with what happened there. We鈥檒l have a conversation.鈥�
Antetokounmpo told a story about the Bucks' 2020-21 championship season, when his mother attended every game from mid-February through the title run. The Greek superstar said his mom wasn't even sure whether she could come onto the court to hug him at the end of the final game and noted that his family members typically don't sit courtside.
The Pacers and Bucks have met 20 times over the past two seasons, with the Pacers winning eight 11 playoff games and both postseason series in an increasingly heated rivalry.
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AP NBA:
Michael Marot, The Associated Press
