Tyrese Haliburton had 31 points and the Indiana Pacers pulled away with a 47-point third quarter, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 142-130 on Wednesday for their second win over the Bucks in three days in a continuation of what seems to be the latest NBA rivalry.

The game was physical and high-scoring, and NBA fans took notice:

After matching up in the NBA In-Season Tournament, the two teams have seemed to develop a genuine dislike of each other:

Should these two teams meet in the playoffs, it will probably look like the latest WWE grudge match:

Who could forget the ‘Giannis game ball' incident last month, where a fight nearly broke out after the game:

As they say, familiarity breeds contempt:

Related NewsArticle continues below
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) reacts to a made basket
Tyrese Haliburton exchanges texts with LeBron James after Pacers win vs. Cavs
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) celebrates during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.
Tyrese Haliburton dishes on real inspiration for Pacers epic playoff run

Should the NBA In-Season Tournament have been the impetus for a rivalry that continues in the playoffs, that's a win for Adam Silver:

Pacers fans repeatedly counted the seconds it took Antetokounmpo to shoot free throws, the Bucks bench was called for a technical in the third quarter and Damian Lillard and Ben Mathurin exchanged words between quarters.

Then in a physical fourth as Pacers swingman Buddy Hield threw a pass off the backboard for an Isaiah Jackson dunk, Giannis was knocked hard to the ground, instigating a shoving match between Milwaukee rookie Andre Jackson Jr. and Obi Toppin. Both drew technical fouls.

The Bucks emerged from a back-and-forth first half with a two-point lead, but the Pacers opened the second half on a 21-6 run, and then extended the lead to 113-97 after three quarters. The Bucks couldn't get closer than 10 the rest of the game.

Up next for the two NBA rivals:

Bucks: At San Antonio on Thursday night.

Pacers: Host Atlanta on Friday night.