Tyrese Haliburton Fuels MSG vs. OKC Finals Atmosphere Debate With Interesting Knicks Crowd Comment

Tyrese Haliburton (Image Credit: Imagn)

Tyrese Haliburton Fuels MSG vs. OKC Finals Atmosphere Debate With Interesting Knicks Crowd Comment

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports | By Kenny Nosay | Last updated May 28, 2026 1:25 AM ET

With the Oklahoma City Thunder holding a 3-2 lead over the San Antonio Spurs, many people have begun to presume that the Thunder will come out of the West. One of those people? It’s none other than Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton.

The New York Knicks have already booked their Finals ticket after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers. They are now waiting on their next opponent on the NBA’s grandest stage. Could it be back-to-back league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Or could it be Defensive Player of the Year winner, Victor Wembanyama? If it’s the Thunder, Tyrese Haliburton already knows which fanbase will be much louder.

Spoiler alert: It’s not the Knicks crowd.

“I think OKC does a great job of having like a college environment in there. It’s pretty ridiculously loud. So I would say it’s the best environment…like a place like New York, like, they have a lot of passionate fans. But there’s a lot of celebrities in there, and like, sometimes, they are too cool to get super loud,” Tyrese Haliburton said.

Tyrese Haliburton says Knicks fans are passionate, but the celebrity crowd at MSG can sometimes be “too cool” to get loud compared to OKC

Finals atmosphere debate already starting. pic.twitter.com/0UP9qP5sJU
— NBARetweet (@RTNBA) May 28, 2026

Hali makes some good points there. While OKC fans are not a rowdy bunch, they are often in unison whenever they cheer for their squad. But the Knicks fanbase is a loud bunch, too. They can also be rowdy – at least in the streets anyway.

Tyrese Haliburton Gives a Bold Message for Indiana’s Future

To no one’s surprise, the Indiana Pacers faltered badly in the 2025-2026 season sans Haliburton. The team failed to make the playoffs after their NBA Finals run in 2025. But if you ask Hali, he’s not too worried about it. As a matter of fact, his message to the Pacers fanbase speaks a lot about his confidence in this team.

“Thank you, guys, for the amazing year. You guys have been awesome. I know it’s been a long year…we appreciate you guys showing up. You guys are the best fans in the world…Don’t get used to the Pacers not playing in April, May, and June. Go Pacers!” Tyrese Haliburton said when he addressed the Pacers crowd.

Tyrese Haliburton (Image Credits: Imagn)

If he comes back at 100 percent, there’s no doubt that Indiana can become one of the top teams in the East next season. They are a deep squad, arguably a plausible contender if everybody is healthy.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: