John Haliburton has been given permission to attend Indiana Pacers games again, starting with Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks. Haliburton, the father of Pacers player Tyrese Haliburton, had been banned from attending the past eight playoff games following an on-court altercation with Giannis Antetokounmpo after the Pacers eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.
The confrontation occurred after Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winning shot in Game 5. John Haliburton was seen taunting Antetokounmpo with a towel, leading to a forehead-to-forehead standoff before they shook hands. Antetokounmpo later confirmed the incident and spoke about his parents’ humility regarding his achievements. Tyrese Haliburton acknowledged that his father was wrong in the situation.
John Haliburton apologized the morning after the incident, but the Pacers announced he would be barred from attending games “for the foreseeable future.” It was unclear whether the decision came from the team or the NBA, but the Pacers communicated the ban to Haliburton and the media.
Following Game 1 of the Pacers-Knicks series, TNT’s Charles Barkley urged NBA commissioner Adam Silver to allow John Haliburton to return to the games, arguing that he had served his punishment. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Haliburton will be permitted to attend Pacers home playoff games in a suite. There is no mention of whether he will be allowed to attend road games, though it may be unwise given the hostile environment at Madison Square Garden.
Game 4 of the Pacers-Knicks series is scheduled for Tuesday in Indianapolis at 8 p.m. ET. The Pacers lead the series 2-1 after the Knicks’ comeback win in Game 3.