Game 2 of the Eastern Conference first-round series between Pacers and Bucks was full of trash talk and controversy, with repeated verbal altercations and technical fouls being thrown at players to try and keep the peace. As the animosity grows in this playoff clash, one team is taking the lead.
Tyrese Haliburton even admitted after the game that there was no love between the teams. “We don’t have to sit here and act like it’s any secret,” the Pacers star said after their 123-115 victory. “We don’t like them, they don’t like us and that’s just what it is.”
“And I think they live for this, we live for this, so I could [not] care less. I’m out here just trying to help my team win a game,” the guard insisted, as this matchup has proved to be everything but friendly since Indiana eliminated Milwaukee in last year’s playoffs.
This time around, Gary Trent Jr.’s frustration reached a peak and through rival Pascal Siakam to the ground, while chaos erupted around them in a full-blown scuffle. With technical fouls being called, Haliburton sees it as normal: “Just competitors. He wants to win, I want to win. It’s the highest level. We’re in the highest level in the most contentious moment here in the playoffs.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo also recognized the strife between both teams, but quickly put things in perspective, saying there are more important things than drama between rival players. The Greek international was more worried about rallying back from their 2-0 deficit in the series.
“I feel like there’s a lot of animosity, a lot of back and forth,” he acknowledged. “But I try to stay away from it. I try to stay away from it as much as I can and just focus on what I’ve got to do to help the team win. But, s—, if you poke me, I’m right there. I’m not backing down.”
The former league MVP then added: “I think a lot of people know that about me, but I really don’t care about what people think or what [the Pacers] think or what we think. I really don’t care. My mindset right now is Game 3. We know the f—ing deal man. I just know the deal. I know what I’ve got to do.”