INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrese Haliburton’s beforehand banned father was again within the constructing, and so, too, was the All-Star level guard’s electrifying all-around sport.
John Haliburton was permitted by the Pacers to return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse following a first-round altercation with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and he received to see his son placed on an absolute present together with his first triple-double of those playoffs in Indiana’s 130-121 victory Tuesday evening in Recreation 4 of the Japanese Convention finals.
The 25-year-old Haliburton put up 20 factors, 10 assists and eight rebounds by halftime earlier than ending with a 32-15-12 stat line with zero turnovers and 4 steals in 38 minutes because the Pacers seized a 3-1 sequence lead with the sequence shifting to New York for Recreation 5 on Thursday on the Backyard.
He joined Oscar Robertson (twice) and Nikola Jokic as the one gamers in playoff historical past to document a triple-double with a minimum of 30 factors and 15 assists.
“Hell yeah, I’m glad Pops [is] in the building, man, makes it more sweet,” Haliburton stated throughout a postgame interview on TNT. “Definitely had something to do with it.”
The youthful Haliburton had invoked the Reggie Miller choke signal from 1994 following a game-tying shot on the finish of regulation of Indy’s additional time win in Recreation 1 after the Knicks had flushed a 14-point lead with below three minutes to play.
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However the two-time All-Star admitted after the Knicks got here again from 20 factors behind to take Recreation 3 that he was “kicking myself” for his half in a lackluster workforce displaying with solely 42 factors within the second half.
John Haliburton, who had confronted Antetokounmpo on the court docket after the Pacers’ clinching Recreation 5 win within the first spherical towards the Bucks on April 29, took within the sport from a luxurious suite after not attending any of the 5 video games towards Cleveland nor the primary three video games of this sequence.
Haliburton didn’t communicate to the media after the Pacers introduced the reversal on Monday, however he referred to as out his father’s habits on the time, saying “he needs to just allow me to play basketball and stay over there, and I’ll come to him to celebrate … I don’t think my pops was in the right at all there.”
John Haliburton additionally issued an apology to each Antetokounmpo and to the Bucks.
“Glad he’s back,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle stated earlier than Recreation 4. “A father should be able to watch his son play basketball. So we welcome him back.”
Tyrese Haliburton got here out firing and scored 15 of the Pacers’ 42 factors and 6 dimes within the first quarter alone.
He added 5 extra factors within the second and was two rebounds shy of a triple-double by intermission, with Indiana holding a 69-64 lead.
Haliburton reached 30 factors for the second time within the sequence (additionally Recreation 1) with a brief runner to place the Pacers forward 115-102 halfway by means of the fourth quarter.
After a 13-5 Knicks run introduced them again inside six, Haliburton weaved his method to the ring for an eight-point lead with 3:40 remaining.
