Recently, the Indiana Pacers fell back down to Earth with a crushing Game 3 loss at home vs the New York Knicks. It was a wake-up call for Tyrese Haliburton and company, who had all the momentum in the world after picking up two straight wins in Madison Square Garden to open up the series.

The Pacers and Knicks have been playoff rivals dating back to the mid-1990's, and apparently there is no love lost between the two fanbases, as evidenced by a recent viral video of Knicks fans throwing garbage bags at a man wearing a Pacers jersey in Manhattan.

Now, it has been unearthed that Haliburton and the Pacers are making sure that the man is well taken care of.

“Hans Perez, a New York firefighter who was harassed with trash bags thrown at him for wearing a #Pacers jersey by Knicks fans outside Madison Square Garden, was gifted a trip to Indy by Tyrese Haliburton & the Pacers for game 4 tonight. His 1st visit to Indy is VIP treatment,” reported Rich Nye of WTHR.com on X, formerly Twitter.

A big game for the Pacers

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) dribbles downcourt during the second quarter against the New York Knicks during of game three of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
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The Pacers will be hoping to treat Hans Perez to a victory when they take the court for Game 4 on Tuesday evening. Indiana risks relinquishing the home court advantage they worked so hard to attain in the first two games if they don't perform well in Game 4.

Conversely, with a win, the Pacers would move within one win of the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance in over two decades, where they would play the winner of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Thunder currently lead that series three games to one.

The Pacers will be hoping for a bounce back game from Haliburton, who has oddly struggled at home in these playoffs, as well as better defense against Karl-Anthony Towns, who erupted for 20 points in the fourth quarter in Game 3.

Game 4 is set for Tuesday evening at 8:00 PM ET from Indianapolis and will be carried nationally by TNT.