INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton’s father will be allowed to attend Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, meaning his ban from attending Indiana Pacers games following an on-court confrontation with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier in the playoffs has ended.
John Haliburton is expected to be seated in a suite Tuesday night when the Pacers host the New York Knicks, in hopes of avoiding a repeat of what happened in Game 5 against the Bucks.
Indiana holds a 2-1 lead over New York.
John Haliburton has not attended any of the Pacers' eight games — home or road — since running onto the court and yelling in Antetokounmpo’s face after his son made a last-second layup in overtime to send the Bucks home in the first round for the third straight year.
Instead, John Haliburton has been seen in a local Indianapolis bar celebrating his son's feats, such as making a buzzer-beating shot to force overtime in Game 1 against the Knicks — a game Indiana won at New York.
Tyrese Haliburton was not made available to reporters on Monday, when the Pacers confirmed their decision to lift the ban on his father.
“I think a father-son relationship is special," teammate Myles Turner said. "I grew up in a house where my father was a big part of my life, and this is a very special moment — conference finals and you potentially move on. So I’m glad that a father can see his son play.”
Game 6 would be in Indianapolis, if necessary.
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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report.
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Michael Marot, The Associated Press
