After the Indiana Pacers pulled off a thrilling 119–118 overtime win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5, the celebration on the court was briefly overshadowed by a tense interaction between Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tyrese Haliburton’s father, John Haliburton.

As the Pacers celebrated, cameras caught Antetokounmpo walking toward John near the sideline with a serious expression.

After the game, Antetokounmpo explained that he felt disrespected, saying someone had cursed at him during the celebration. “You win with class. You lose with class. Coming to me and cursing at me, that’s unacceptable,” he told reporters after a dominant triple-double effort of 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 13 assists in the loss.

Reports circulated that John Haliburton had been shouting and waving a towel featuring his son's image during the celebration. Antetokounmpo appeared to interpret this as taunting in the heat of a tough loss.

John Haliburton has since spoken out to clarify what really happened. He clarified that the moment was emotional, but it ended with mutual understanding and no hard feelings. He clarified that he never intended to provoke or insult Antetokounmpo and was simply caught up in the joy of the Pacers' win.

“He grabbed my hand, he put his forehead on my forehead, and he said, ‘Don’t disrespect me,’” John told Ashley Washburn of TMJ4 News in an interview. “And I said to him, ‘I was not trying to disrespect you.’ Then I said to him, ‘I love you,’ he said back to me, ‘I love you.’ We patted chests, he gave me a thumbs up, and he walked away.”

He also explained the confusion that may have triggered the reaction. “When I turned, it might have seemed like I was looking at him, but I really wasn't. I was looking through him,” John said, noting that the moment was misunderstood.

Tyrese Haliburton, who had a strong performance in the win, finishing with 26 points, nine assists, five rebounds, three blocks, and three steals, said he found out about the incident after the game. He expressed his intention to speak with Antetokounmpo directly to clear the air and emphasized that the incident does not reflect who they are.

What started as a tense postgame moment ultimately became a reminder of how quickly emotions can escalate—but also how quickly respect and understanding can bring them back down.