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Indiana Pacers Set New League Home Scoring Record In 114-112 Home Win Vs. Cleveland Cavaliers 11 Mar 11, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) and his dad celebrate the win over Milwaukee Bucks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Indiana Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton Humorously Addressed the Social Media About His Dad

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Reign Amurao | Last updated May 28, 2025 4:41 AM ET

The Indiana Pacers bounced back on Tuesday after losing to the New York Knicks in Game 3 on Sunday. Much of their 130-121 victory could be credited to how Tyrese Haliburton performed. The All-Star guard had 32 points, 12 rebounds, 15 assists and four steals. Haliburton was efficient from beyond the arc and made 41.7 percent of his attempts.

Haliburton was aggressive the moment the game started. In the first quarter, he had 15 points on 3-for-3 shooting from downtown. He also dominated the boards early on with five rebounds and found his teammates easily with his six assists.

Following the game, he also credited the presence of his father, John. After the Pacers’ 106-100 defeat in Game 3, the organization announced the lifting of his ban from attending games.

“Hell yeah,” Haliburton answered. “I’m glad pops is in the buildin’. Makes it that much more sweet. Yeah, he had a little bit to do with it.”

While John was banned, fans on social media let out a cry to “Free Pops.” Haliburton caught wind of what the fans wanted from the organization and humorously addressed it during his postgame press conference.

“I know we’re saying ‘Free Pops’ and he is free, but he was not in jail. He happened to be in a very beautiful home sitting very pretty watching NBA basketball… He is just fine,” Haliburton said.

https://twitter.com/LakeShowYo/status/1927574253349585182

In the first round of the postseason, the Pacers banned John after his interaction with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks star had a heated verbal exchange with Haliburton’s father after they were eliminated in Game 5. According to the Greek Freak, he wasn’t aware that it was the All-Star’s father and thought he was just a normal fan who went onto the court.

Haliburtin said Triple H’s presence at the Indiana Pacers’ Game 4 made it ‘more special’

Former Indiana Pacers Guard Criticized Jalen Brunson For Holding the Ball Too Long 3 May 21, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) meets with teammates on the court in the second half against the New York Knicks during game one of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

While the presence of Haliburton’s dad was something else, the presence of WWE legend Triple H made it even better, according to the Indiana Pacers star. The 6-foot-5 guard is a fan of wrestling and has even made an appearance last year, when he ironically faced off against Knicks star Jalen Brunson.

Following the win, Haliburton talked about how special it was seeing one of wrestling’s most iconic figures at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

“I was happy [Pops] was in the building, obviously Triple H was in the building. … I’m not gonna say it was more special, but Triple H being in the building was pretty fire too,” Haliburton said.

The Indiana Pacers will travel back to New York for Game 5 on Thursday at Madison Square Garden. Haliburton and the team look to end the series and hopefully advance to the NBA Finals.

Indiana Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton Surpasses Chris Paul in This 1 Wild Point Guard Stat 1 Mar 11, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) celebrates his made basket and foul in the second half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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