The NBA In-Season Tournament was introduced by the league to elicit more excitement for what are otherwise humdrum regular season games, and if the first game of the knockout stage is any indication, then the league has succeeded in that regard. In quite the enthralling contest, it was the Indiana Pacers that stood tall over the Boston Celtics, 122-112, with Tyrese Haliburton being the driving force of Indy's continued tournament dominance.

Haliburton turned in one of the best games of his young NBA career on Monday night, dropping his first career triple-double in a rousing effort against the Celtics. With 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists, the Pacers star continued to show that he is truly one of the most exciting young players in today's game, as he continues to steer the Indiana offense to great heights.

And there may have been a bigger driving force behind Tyrese Haliburton's stellar performance other than the motivation that the In-Season Tournament has given the Pacers, as the 23-year old floor general's parents were in attendance in Gainbridge Fieldhouse to witness his greatness.

Via ClutchPoints Twitter (X):

Tyrese Haliburton's parents, named John and Brenda, were clearly proud of the Pacers star's performance — and why wouldn't they be? He continues to be an otherworldly offensive force, and to top it all off, he continues to be one of the most unselfish and fun to play with superstars in the entire association, a testament to the way his parents raised him.

In fact, it was Haliburton's father that was so amped up, as, after the Pacers' win over the Celtics, he ran all the way from the stands with a huge smile on his face as he hugged his son and kissed him on the cheek just to show his love for the 23-year old point guard.

Now, Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers await the winner of the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks on the opposite bracket of the Eastern Conference In-Season Tournament knockout stage as they go one step closer to bringing in the first piece of silverware available in the 2023-24 season. And with how well they've played in the tournament to this point, they might be the favorite to win it all.