• John Haliburton and Giannis Antetokounmpo got into a confrontation following the Pacers’ 119-118 overtime victory Tuesday night
• Tyrese Haliburton said his father was wrong and that he spoke to John and would speak to Antetokounmpo about the incident
• John Haliburton apologized to Antetokounmpo, the Bucks and Pacers on X early Wednesday morning

John Haliburton, the father of Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, apologized to Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks and Pacers on X early Wednesday morning for his confrontation with Antetokounmpo after the Pacers’ series-clinching 119-118 overtime victory on Tuesday night.

“I sincerely apologize to Giannis, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Pacers organization for my actions following tonight’s game.” John Haliburton wrote on X. “This was not a good reflection on our sport or my son and I will not make that mistake again.”

Antetokounmpo and John Haliburton got into a very heated conversation and the pair had to be broken up. After the game, in a nearly 4-minute response to a question to as to what happened after the game, Antetokounmpo said, in part:

“I believe being humble in victory. That’s the way I am. Now, there can be a lot of people out there that are like no, when you win the game you gotta talk (expletive) and it’s a green light for you to be disrespectful toward somebody else. I disagree. I won a championship. They haven’t. That doesn’t say anything. I’m not trying to minimize their effort.”

He also added, “I talked with him at the end. And I think we’re in a good place.”

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Doyel: This should be Tyrese Haliburton’s night. Instead, we’re talking about his dad taunting Giannis

Tyrese Haliburton agreed his father, who always sits in the front row on the baseline at Pacers’ home games, was in the wrong. After Haliburton’s game-winner he exchanged a passionate hug with John and a respectful one with Antetokounmpo, but he wasn’t present for the exchange between the two. He said he didn’t see the exchange between his father and Antetokounmpo until he had returned to the locker room and saw video.

“Me and my pops have talked about that,” Tyrese Haliburton said in his postgame news conference. “I don’t agree with what transpired there from him. I think basketball is basketball and let’s keep it on the court. I think he just got excited, saw his son make a game-winner and came on the court. We had a conversation. He needs to just allow me to play basketball and stay over there, I’ll come to him to celebrate.”