Tyrese Haliburton is not beloved around the league. He draws the ire of opposing fan bases and arouses skepticism from his peers. The 25-year-old's trash-talking ways can rub some people the wrong way, including former players, but the Indiana Pacers proudly stand by their guy. No matter how he performs, Haliburton brings the energy.

And that is what he did in Tuesday's 123-115 Game 2 victory versus the Milwaukee Bucks. The two-time All-Star point guard totaled 21 points on 8-of-19 shooting with 12 assists and five rebounds, as Indy heads to the Fiserv Forum with a 2-0 series lead in the opening round of the NBA playoffs. Besides the impact that Haliburton made on the contest's outcome, he also contributed to another element of the action: verbal warfare.

Picking up where they left off in Game 1, Haliburton and returning Bucks star Damian Lillard exchanged words with less than a minute and a half remaining on the clock. There were officials and other players between them, but the tension pierced through just the same. The rivalry between these guards and teams continues to engage NBA fans. Momentum is with the Pacers right now, however.

Damian Lillard and Bucks fall short to Tyrese Haliburton and Pacers

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The Pacers nearly erased a 16-point deficit, as Lillard knocked down a 3-pointer at the 2:33 mark to bring his team within two, but clutch treys from Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard clinched the W for Indiana. Siakam posted 24 points, 11 rebounds and three steals, while Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis Jr. combined for 62 points and 30 rebounds in defeat.

Although Milwaukee has yet to play at home– Game 3 tips off in Cream City on Friday night– the Pacers are only two wins away from ending the Bucks' season in back-to-back years. Expect a sense of desperation to fill the arena this weekend.

While both squads boast an abundance of talent, people will also keep their eyes fixed on the extracurricular activities. Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard probably still have a few barbs left in their respective holsters to sling at one another again in the playoffs.

Friday's matchup should bring out a unique intensity from Lillard, as it will mark his first game in front of the home crowd since stepping away from the court to address a blood clot in his calf in mid-March. Haliburton should be locked-in as well, given that he and the Pacers have the opportunity to essentially put the series out of reach.