Recently, the Indiana Pacers punched their ticket to the NBA Finals with a resounding Game 6 win over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers got another strong performance from Tyrese Haliburton, who has quickly risen into superstar status with his play throughout this Indiana postseason run.

It was the second straight year that Haliburton and the Pacers ended the Knicks' season, and as may be expected, fans from New York aren't taking the loss very well.

Recently, WFAN host Sal Licata took aim at Haliburton on The Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata Show.

“New York put you on the map,” said Licata, per Awful Announcing. “You don’t run (expletive). We put you on the map. Whether it is Wally Szczerbiak saying he is overrated. Whether it’s his performance against the Knicks a year ago. Whether it’s the Knicks choking one in Game 1, allowing him to again be the villain with the choke sign. Without New York, nobody gives a crap about you, Tyrese Haliburton.”

Licata also referenced some of the social media trolling of the Knicks that Haliburton has done since the victory.

“Beating the Knicks is not the trophy that you should be trying to get here,” he said. “You have done that now a couple of times. So stop with the ‘I run New York’ stuff. Stop with your girlfriend on social media. ‘Go New York, go New York, go home.’ Enough, without New York, you are nothing. We made you! We run you!”

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A one-sided rivalry

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) raises the trophy after game six of the eastern conference finals against the New York Knicks for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

It would appear that over the last couple of years, Tyrese Haliburton has taken Trae Young's throne as the number one basketball villain in the city of New York.

Many chalked up the Pacers' 2024 win over the Knicks to bad injury luck for New York, but Indiana left no doubt about who was the better team in this year's series, constantly leaving New York without answers with their fast style of play and high-octane offense.

Haliburton and the Pacers now await a matchup in the NBA Finals vs the Oklahoma City Thunder, which is slated to begin on Thursday night.