Tyrese Haliburton's Historic Night Lifts Pacers, With Dad Watching Courtside
Tyrese Haliburton didn’t just light up the New York Knicks in Game 4—he rewrote a page in NBA postseason history. With 32 points, 15 assists, and 12 rebounds—and not a single turnover—Haliburton put up a triple-double that left fans buzzing and the Indiana Pacers just one win from the NBA Finals. But as much as the stats stood out, another story played out in the stands: the surprise return of Haliburton’s father, John, whose presence had the Pacers star openly emotional after the final buzzer.
Rewind a few weeks and John Haliburton was making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Following a heated incident with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo during the first round, the Pacers slapped Tyrese’s dad with an 'indefinite' ban from home games. Nobody expected to see him again this postseason. But as Indiana kept winning, the guardrails seemed to loosen, and there was John Haliburton back in Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 4, cheering just as loud as ever.
So, did it matter to Tyrese? Just ask him. He didn’t dodge the question: "Hell yeah, Pops being in the building had something to do with it. Makes it that much sweeter." Behind the bravado, you could hear something deeper. Tyrese has often talked about how his dad, a former referee himself, missed out on a lot of youth games due to his own work commitments. Now, with the stakes sky-high and the lights brightest, father and son are finally sharing those big basketball moments together—this time, on basketball’s grandest stage.
While Tyrese joked about the ban in his postgame chat—"He was not in jail—he was sitting pretty in a sweet home watching NBA basketball"—everybody knew this was personal. His teammates noticed the boost. The Pacers fed off his energy, jumping out early and never letting the Knicks fully close the gap, clinching a 3-1 Pacers series lead that has the blue-and-gold faithful believing in a Finals run no one saw coming back in October.
Eyeing the Closeout—But With Family at Arm’s Length?
With their sights now set on closing out the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, the Pacers aren’t just carrying playoff hopes—they’re carrying their leader’s energy. In a light-hearted moment, Tyrese suggested maybe his dad should skip Game 5 and stick to cheering from the couch, just to avoid any more drama. Nobody knows if John will listen (history says probably not), but if that father-son dynamic continues fueling Haliburton’s fire, the Pacers won’t complain.
There’s no guarantee Indiana wraps up the series in New York against a desperate Knicks squad, but the storyline is hard to ignore. With Haliburton playing at an all-time level and family drama flipped into motivation, the Pacers are making this playoff run uniquely their own—on and off the court.