Watch: Tyrese Haliburton's father John Haliburton visibly curses out official over inbounds call
Tyrese Haliburton's father, John Haliburton, was at his son's crucial game against the Boston Celtics on Monday for the NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals. It is a big moment for John, considering it's the Pacers All-Star's first-ever knockout atmosphere game.
Haliburton hasn't made the playoffs, but the quarterfinals of the NBA's inaugural mid-season competition have the same feeling. John Haliburton took it up a notch to prove that after he cursed out the referee over an inbounds call in the fourth quarter.
Haliburton managed a steal on Jaylen Brown. He believed the ball touched the Celtics forward before going out of bounds, and so did his father. However, the referees gave the possession to the Celtics. Here's John's reaction:
Haliburton has been elite in this game for the Pacers, who went 4-0 in the group stage phase of the In-Season Tournament. He dropped 12 points and five assists in the third quarter. The one-time All-Star is making a compelling case as tournament MVP on his TNT debut. It's only the second national TV game of his NBA career.
Tyrese Haliburton is having a first-team All-NBA caliber year
Tyrese Haliburton has only grown comfortable in the role of a leader for the Indiana Pacers. He's firing on all cylinders this year, averaging 27.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 11.8 assists on 52/45/88 splits. The Pacers are sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 10-8 record.
Haliburton has put himself in first-team All-NBA and MVP conversation for his production. The fifth-year guard has led the Pacers to a record 123.8 offensive rating, the highest in league history.
He has now led them to the semifinals of the In-Season tournament, taking care of business against the mighty Boston Celtics with a 26-point, 10-rebound and 13-assist triple-doubles, shooting 10-of-18, including five-of-11 from deep. The Pacers won 122-112 despite trailing by seven at halftime.
Not many have the composure and maturity to play so well in just their second national TV game in a virtual knockout, but Haliburton certainly does. Kenny Smith opined that Haliubrton is 'primetime television,' and he isn't far from his assessment.
The Pacers seem to have invested well in their future, with Tyrese Haliburton as the centerpiece. It will be intriguing to see how high his ceiling could be.