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The Indiana Pacers, behind Tyrese Haliburton, routed the Milwaukee Bucks 125-108 to tie their first-round playoff series 1-1. After getting embarrassed in Game 1, the Pacers responded with a high-octane offense that almost never fails to rev up with Haliburton in the driver’s seat. Tonight, the Bucks got reacquainted with steamrolling onslaught, particularly in the second half of Game 2.
Haliburton may be with the Pacers but Bucks fans are very familiar with him. He comes from Oshkosh, Wisconsin and played for Iowa in college. Indiana’s franchise cornerstone normally gets just a smattering of boos when the Pacers are doing well.
But, Tyrese Haliburton didn’t feel too happy in his return to his home state for the playoffs. When asked about playing in Milwaukee for the first time past the regular season, his answer stunned those inside the conference room (via Lori Nickel):
"My little brother in the stands the other day was called the N-word"
The incident happened in Game 1 when the Pacers were blasted right out of the gates by the Milwaukee Bucks. Behind Damian Lillard’s 35-point first-half masterpiece, the visitors were sent reeling and down a big hole early. Indiana tried to crawl out of the hole but couldn’t recover.
Tyrese Haliburton’s younger’s brother likely kept egging the Indiana Pacers’ star point guard to keep going despite the odds. What happened was quite concerning after this report came out (via Dustin Dopirak):
“Per league source, building security was notified of the incident involving Tyrese's brother, but the fan was not removed from the game.”
Tyrese Haliburton will likely wait for the NBA to investigate as the series shifts to Indiana
The NBA has zero tolerance for abusive and hateful behavior toward players and other fans. Racism will not be taken lightly so the Milwaukee Bucks and even league officials will look into the incident involving Tyrese Haliburton's brother. Punishment for erring fans will vary but it will be something significant.
In the past, fans who engage in racist comments or taunts have been thrown out from games. On some occasions, they have been banned from entering the arena for NBA games. The penalty will depend on the gravity of the offense.
Meanwhile, Tyrese Haliburton and his family will be in Indiana where they are treated like royalty. It will be the Pacers' turn to host the series as the teams prepare for Games 3 and 4.
When the series returns to Wisconsin, the Pacers could be ahead 3-1 in the series and put the Bucks on the brink of elimination.
