In Indianapolis, the typically amicable Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers is making it clear that he won’t shy away from confronting his rival from the Milwaukee Bucks, Damian Lillard. The rivalry is heating up, as is often the case during the intensity of the NBA playoffs. Haliburton succinctly sums up the situation by stating that there’s a mutual dislike between the two teams.
The animosity isn’t exclusive to the Pacers and Bucks, with similar tension evident between teams like Golden State and Houston, and the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, for Indiana and Milwaukee, the discord runs deeper than just a single playoff series.
Confrontations have marked this first-round playoff series. Haliburton engaged with Lillard during a timeout in Game 1 and again during an exchange late in Game 2. As the series heads back to Milwaukee, near Haliburton’s hometown of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the expectation is for more of the same. Haliburton remarked, “He wants to win, I want to win and we’re at the height of competition. We simply don’t like each other, and they don’t like us. That’s just reality.”
The intensity of the Pacers-Bucks matchup is understandable, with Game 3 marking their 18th encounter since the beginning of last season. Milwaukee is eager to avoid a third consecutive early playoff exit, particularly another at the hands of Indiana. Last year, Indiana dominated four of five regular-season encounters and eliminated the Bucks 4-2 in their playoff series. This season, Milwaukee claimed three of four regular-season games but dropped the first two playoff contests, an environment where on-court confrontations are expected.
This trend is mirrored elsewhere. In Boston, Orlando’s Goga Bitadze inadvertently injured the Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis with an elbow. Meanwhile, Houston’s series saw trash talk and intense moments between Dillon Brooks and Draymond Green, exacerbated by Jimmy Butler’s injury from a hard fall. In Los Angeles, Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic have helped keep the intensity high.
Such disputes are part and parcel of playoff basketball, characterized by increased physicality. For Haliburton and Lillard, tensions may have escalated when Haliburton mimicked Lillard’s “Dame Time” celebration after a pivotal shot in Indiana’s victory during the 2023 NBA Cup semifinals. Past tensions also include an incident last season involving a basketball, which led to Giannis Antetokounmpo dashing into the Pacers’ locker room after a career-high 64-point game.
Milwaukee’s coach, Doc Rivers, views many of these tensions as unnecessary distractions, reminiscent of his own physically intense playing days. He expressed frustration over lengthy game stops for minor interactions, citing an early-season altercation that dragged on tediously.
For Pascal Siakam, a January 2024 acquisition by Indiana, the playoff edge is crucial. Siakam remarked, “In the playoffs, if you’re looking for an edge, something’s wrong.” Haliburton, no stranger to the recurring gritty encounters, acknowledges a rivalry existence that contradicts claims of their absence, due to the frequent matchups over the past seasons. He mentioned that while competitive spirit is high, the additional drama adds a layer of enjoyment, concluding, “The extracurricular stuff is just that – but it’s fun.”