The Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks, 114-109, on Friday to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals as the series shifts back to Indianapolis. Game 3 will be on Sunday and if the Inside the NBA crew has anything to say about it, Tyrese Haliburton’s father will be there to watch.
The Pacers point guard joined the TNT postgame show after the win and the first thing Charles Barkley said to him was “Free your dad. Free your dad, brother.” Haliburton responded with a laugh and said, “Free Pops!”
After the Pacers won Game 1, Barkley addressed Adam Silver during TNT’s postgame show and told him it was “time to let Mr. Haliburton back in the building.”
“It’s time to let Mr. Haliburton back in the building,” said Barkley. “Adam, I’m asking you… Hey, my man paid his dues. He did something really, really stupid. But he’s been punished. I’m asking you and the Indiana Pacers to let Mr. Haliburton back in the building for Games 3 and 4. Listen, he paid his dues. It shouldn’t be indefinite. He’s been punished enough, he will never do anything that stupid again.”
This is quite a change in tone for Barkley who told Dan Patrick the day after John Haliburton taunted Giannis Antetokounmpo on the court after the Pacers win that he would have punched him in the face.
“Ain’t no way I wouldn’t have clocked him,” said Barkley. “And I ain’t trying to be no fake tough guy on television. There’s no way I wouldn’t have punched him in the face when he did what he did.”
The Pacers themselves said that Haliburton was barred from attending playoff games after the incident.
