With their backs against the wall, the Milwaukee Bucks came out like a pack of Tazmanian devils in Game 5 of their series with the Indiana Pacers, racing out to a 17-point lead after one period. The Pacers patiently clawed their way back, eventually sending the game to overtime.
In the extra frame, though, the Bucks had their sights on Game 6 in Milwaukee as they built a 118-111 lead with 40 seconds left. Then…
…a 33-foot trey from Andrew Nembhard.
….a steal by Nembhard off a Gary Trent Jr. pass.
…an and-one layup by Tyrese Haliburton.
…another Trent turnover.
…a Haliburton layup with 1.1 seconds left in the game.
…a missed 62-foot shot by Trent.
…Pandemonium!
Then…
Haliburton’s father, John, was obviously excited. His son just completed an epic comeback to clinch a playoff series and advance to the next round. But then he runs onto the court and stands right in front of Giannis Antetokounmpo, waving a towel with an image of Tyrese while mouthing words.
Antetokounmpo then approached Haliburton’s father a few minutes later:
In the post-game interview, Antetokounmpo eloquently expressed his perspective, background and reasons for taking offense to what Haliburton’s father did.
As for the response by Haliburton’s father?
For that, I have to bring back an oldie but goodie:
On Thursday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Haliburton’s father will not be attending any home or road games for the foreseeable future.
That seems like the wise choice, as his presence would distract from what Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers are trying to accomplish on the basketball court during this playoff run.
