The Indiana Pacers edged out the New York Knicks 114-109 on Friday, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals as the series now moves back to Indianapolis. Game 3 is set for Sunday, and if Charles Barkley and the Inside the NBA crew has their way, Tyrese Haliburton’s father will be courtside to see it all unfold.

After the Pacers’ win, the Pacers star joined the TNT postgame show, where Charles Barkley kicked things off by saying, “Free your dad. Free your dad, brother.” Haliburton couldn’t help but laugh, responding with, “Free Pops!”

“Free pops until it's backwards, man,” Haliburton continued while smiling.

Following the Pacers’ Game 1 victory, Charles Barkley took a moment during TNT’s postgame show to call out NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, saying it was “time to let Mr. Haliburton back in the building.”

“Adam, I'm asking you… Hey, my man paid his dues. He did something really, really stupid. But he’s been punished. I’m asking you and the Indiana Pacers to let Mr. Haliburton back in the building for Games 3 and 4. Listen, he paid his dues. It shouldn’t be indefinite. He’s been punished enough, he will never do anything that stupid again.” said Barkley in an earlier coverage.

The Pacers ban on Tyrese Haliburton's dad

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) controls the ball against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) in overtime during game one of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images

John Haliburton was part of a heated on-court exchange with Giannis Antetokounmpo following the Pacers’ Game 5 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. His actions drew widespread criticism, and he later issued an apology to Antetokounmpo, the Bucks, and the Pacers organization.

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Despite the apology, the Pacers’ front office chose to bar John Haliburton from attending both home and away games for the foreseeable future. When Tyrese Haliburton was later asked about the decision, he made it clear that he respected the call and had no complaints.

Since then, John Haliburton hasn’t seemed to be watching games from home. After the Pacers’ Game 1 win over the Knicks, he was spotted dancing at a bar—and it’s easy to imagine how ecstatic he must’ve been following their Game 2 victory.

Pacers stun the Knicks

The Pacers have now secured back-to-back wins in New York, building a 2-0 lead and establishing themselves as clear frontrunners in the series. Although Tyrese Haliburton couldn’t quite recreate his Game 1 brilliance—where he dropped 31 points and dished out 11 assists—he still made a strong impact in Game 2, recording 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting, along with eight rebounds, 11 assists, and two steals.

Luckily for the Pacers, Pascal Siakam rose to the occasion with a dominant 39-point performance on 15-of-23 shooting, adding five rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Myles Turner also delivered in clutch moments, dropping 13 of his total points in the fourth quarter to help seal the win.

With the series heading to Indianapolis, the Pacers hold a strong advantage. A win in Game 3 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday at 8 PM ET would push them to the brink of the NBA Finals—especially significant considering no team in playoff history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit.