Originally from Wisconsin, Tyrese Haliburton is experiencing a rather unusual first career playoffs. In difficulty individually for the moment during the first two games (9 then 12 points), the leader of the Pacers is playing almost at home in Milwaukee. But this rather special context was marred by an incident involving his brother during Game 1, in the Bucks room. He would have suffered a racist insult as explained by Tyrese Haliburton himself at a press conference.
“ The “N-word” was used against my little brother the other day in the stands » explained the Indiana All-Star. “ It was important to talk about it, and as a family, it didn't feel right. It's important to me to have my family by my side right now, and my brother has handled this situation well. »
Accusations denied, end of incident for the Bucks
The incident began when Tyrese Haliburton's family entered the wrong row in the stands at Fiserv Forum on Sunday, prompting the intervention of Bucks front office staff.
That's when Tyrese Haliburton's brother claims he was insulted. “ The accused person denied » explained a representative of the Milwaukee franchise to ESPN. “ The group returned to their good places and no other incident was reported to us. »
The Bucks public has so far been frustrated by the performances of its protégés. The stands began to empty midway through the fourth quarter Tuesday during the loss to the Pacers. Amid the boos, Tyrese Haliburton noted a change in mentality during these first two meetings of the series. “ During the regular season, what was said about me in the stands was friendly because I'm the local guy. But it's a little different when you come in this context of the playoffs. »
Mass exodus of fans at Fiserv Forum as the Bucks go down 20. pic.twitter.com/LwQFgJanPN
— Scott Grodsky (@ScottGrodsky) April 24, 2024
“We had better audiences during the regular season than during these two matches”
While Thanasis Antetokounmpo called on fans to “ create a suffocating atmosphere » in his podcastthe Fiserv Forum is struggling to roar. The local ABC media station reports that ticket resale prices and demand for the first two games were much lower than usual. “ No Giannis, first round, a little bit of 'déjà vu' and the fans are getting a little spoiled » explained John Lamoureaux, president of Ticket King, a local ticket resale platform.
“ I expect the atmosphere to be crazy in Indiana, we had better crowds during the regular season than in these two games » added a finally calm Tyrese Haliburton.
