NBA Fans Cheer as John Haliburton Ban is Lifted Ahead of Pacers-Knicks Game 4
Pacers star man Tyrese Haliburton granted huge boost after his father, John Haliburton is now allowed to attend home games.

Tyrese Haliburton and his 'pops' John Haliburton. (Image by FirstSportz)
Star player Tyrese Haliburton will get a boost of confidence as the Indiana Pacers prepare for a pivotal Game 4 matchup with the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. His father, John Haliburton, was recently cleared to return to the arena after serving an eight-game suspension. The Pacers, who are trying to regain control of the series after losing a 20-point lead in Game 3, decided at a critical juncture.
Now that the Knicks are on the rise and momentum is waning, Haliburton’s father’s presence in the building might provide the club and its upcoming leader a much-needed boost. Haliburton Sr. won’t be sitting courtside as he was for Game 5 of the first-round series, but he will still be in the arena. He will instead observe from a suite, marking a cautious but important move following a well reported incident.
Tyrese Haliburton's dad, John, will be allowed to attend Pacers home games in a suite, beginning with Game 4 against the Knicks on Tuesday, sources told @ShamsCharania. https://t.co/V0va5p6P0o
— ESPN (@espn) May 26, 2025
Notably, a few days ago, NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley was pleading with Adam Silver and the league to lift his ban. Looks like Barkley’s words were heard, as the Pacers have cleared Haliburton Sr. to attend the games. In addition, his son also made his views clear regarding his ‘pops’ presence beside him on the court.
But why was he banned in the first place? Following a Pacers postseason victory, John rushed the floor and yelled at the Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. It was not a good showing by the Pacers stars’ father, leading to many controversial reactions from the NBA community. Even Barkley had a go at him, but later made amends with his take.
One thing is sure: Tyrese Haliburton will be the happiest to see his father again in the building. The emotional boost from having his father in the building, even from a suite, could improve Haliburton’s performance and focus as the pressure increases and the value of every possession increases.
Fans left ecstatic after John Haliburton’s ban gets lifted by the Pacers
Tyrese’s father, John Haliburton, has found it difficult to witness his son and the Pacers outside of basketball venues because of one error. His mistake did not, however, prevent him from celebrating in style after the Pacers’ top performance at the MSG in Game 1. In addition, Haliburton Sr now had his ban lifted by the Pacers, garnering immense reactions from the NBA community.
Many fans took to various social media apps to put forward their reactions and thoughts after coming across this news. One fan wrote on X, “That’s dope, Haliburton’s dad back in the building!” Check out some of the fan reactions below:
That's dope, Haliburton's dad back in the building!
— Swaggy McNasty (@SwaggyMcNasty) May 26, 2025
Holy
— Addy (@b00tylishes) May 26, 2025
Onto the big win 🚀🚀
— Kapisch (@1Kapisch) May 26, 2025
That's good for him
— Corona Greenape (@EdgarApe2) May 26, 2025
That's great news for Tyrese and his dad. Enjoy the game!
— Austin Graham (@adivraza) May 26, 2025
Yes yes 🔥🔥
— 🅽🅰🅽🅹🅴 •₿•🦅 (@Zibepikin) May 26, 2025
Now, Haliburton can pull off the celebrations(if they win) together with the Pacers’ fans after his ban has been lifted. His return to home games is more than just a reunion with family; it also stands for resiliency, responsibility, and fresh support during a pivotal point in the playoffs. It remains to be seen how the Pacers perform in Game 4 on their home court.
Tyrese Haliburton had a blunt take on the Pacers’ Game 3 loss against the Knicks
The Pacers were well on their way to winning 3 consecutive games against the Knicks in the ECF Finals in Game 3. At one point, they led the Knicks by 20 points. However, it all went downhill in the 4th quarter with the Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns leading their side. Notably, Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton provided his honest verdict after the game.
I have to watch film to give you a better answer, but it felt like the game was just, like, stuck there. Which is a weird feeling. It felt like every time we scored, they scored. Every time we didn’t, we got a stop. We never were able to really pull away.
Tyrese Haliburton told the reporters
On the attacking end of the court, the Pacers made some careless plays, and their defense appeared a little strange. Going into Game 4, they will need to improve their game plan for the whole 48 minutes the next time around if they hope to grab a 3-1 lead in this series.
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