Author: saiunes

NBA playoffs: Tyrese Haliburton’s OT game-winner finishes off Bucks’ collapse as Pacers advance

Indiana overcomes a seven-point deficit with 40 seconds remaining in overtime

April 30, 2025 at 3:17 AM UTC·6 min read

The Indiana Pacers achieved a remarkable comeback, overcoming a seven-point deficit with 40 seconds left in overtime to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 119-118. This victory secured their place in the second round of the NBA playoffs with a 4-1 series win.

The decisive moment came from Tyrese Haliburton, who scored the game-winning shot with just 1.3 seconds remaining. The Pacers faced a significant challenge, trailing by as much as 20 points in regulation before mounting their dramatic comeback.

The Bucks, playing without Damian Lillard who suffered an Achilles tear, relied heavily on Gary Trent Jr. and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Trent scored 33 points, while Antetokounmpo delivered a triple-double with 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 13 assists.

Haliburton contributed 26 points, nine assists, and five rebounds. The game saw intense swings in momentum, with the Pacers tying the game on Haliburton’s dunk with 10.8 seconds left in regulation.

Post-game tensions ran high as Antetokounmpo confronted Haliburton’s father, leading to a scuffle. Despite the loss, Antetokounmpo emphasized humility in defeat.

The Bucks now face an uncertain future, particularly concerning their long-term plans and Antetokounmpo’s potential departure. The Pacers will move on to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the next round.

In this episode of The Big Number, the focus is on the New York Knicks’ offensive struggles and the thrilling nature of the current NBA postseason. The discussion highlights the competitive first round, with surprising performances and unexpected outcomes. Key points include:

• The competitiveness of the first round, marked by close games and upsets.
• Cade Cunningham’s early dominance in the playoffs.
• The Knicks’ concerning pace of play and offensive inefficiencies, particularly without Brunson.
• Jalen Duren’s impactful plays for the Detroit Pistons.
• The Milwaukee Bucks’ disappointing end to their season, including a late collapse against the Indiana Pacers, raising questions about the future of the Giannis Era in Milwaukee and potential trade scenarios.
• Analysis and predictions for the Cavs-Pacers series.

The episode also covers the Bucks’ season-ending loss, where they blew a 7-point lead with 40 seconds left, leading to speculation about the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee.

NBA Playoffs: Celtics Close Out Magic in Game 5 with Blowout Win, Advance to Second Round

BOSTON — All-Star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 58 points on 19-of-34 shooting (55.9%) Tuesday, as the Celtics eliminated the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series, 120-89.

Boston awaits the winner of a first-round series between the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons. The Pistons, who staved off elimination on Tuesday, host the Knicks in Game 6 on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Celtics Dominate Third Quarter

It was as if the Celtics needed only a lead, any lead, to break this game open. The Magic controlled much of the first half, taking a 49-47 advantage into the break and stretching that lead to five in the early going of the third quarter. And then their momentum halted. Or Tatum halted it.

Tatum made Boston’s first 3-pointer of the night — yes, its first 3-pointer of the night (more on that in a minute) — two minutes into the third quarter, cutting that five-point deficit to 53-51. Brown drove the lane for an old-fashioned three-point play and the lead on the next possession. From there it was over.

The Celtics outscored the Magic in the third quarter, 36-13, to take a 21-point lead into the final frame. They made five of their eight 3-point attempts in the third. Tatum made all three of his. He and Brown, Boston’s championship combination, totaled 22 points on nine shots, both playing the entire quarter.

Meanwhile, Boston’s defense stifled Orlando. The Magic shot just 6-of-22 in the third quarter, missing all 11 of their 3-point attempts. They committed five turnovers, leading to 10 Celtics points. They committed eight fouls and registered a single assist. It was a master class in what not to do in an elimination game.

Boston 3 Potty

The Celtics entered the playoffs attempting 48.2 3-pointers per game, the most of any team ever and six more than any other team this season. It is what they do. Except they entered Game 5 attempting just 33 3-pointers a night in this series, 11th among the NBA’s 16-team playoff field. Limiting 3s is what the Magic do. The 31.4 3-point attempts per game they allowed during the regular season also led the league.

“It is our identity,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said in the pregame. “We’re going to sit down and guard. We’re going to be physical. We’re going to be handsy. We’re going to do the right thing. We’re going to shrink the floor, get out to shooters, understand who we’re closing out to. That’s just who we’ve been.”

Something had to give, and for the first half of Tuesday’s game it was Orlando that would not allow an inch. Boston did not make a single one of only six attempts from distance in the first half. It was only the second time all season that a team — any team, let alone the Celtics — did not make a 3 in the first half.

So, instead, the Celtics attacked the rim. They doubled up the Magic in the paint in the first half, 32-16, shooting 62.5% from inside the 3-point line. It is what helped Boston enter the break with a two-point deficit, despite its 3-point struggles. That and the fact that the Magic did not shoot the lights out, either.

Paolo Banchero is Ready for Superstardom

Paolo Banchero is the kind of player you can build a playoff winner around. The Magic may not have won the series, but they gave the defending champions all they could handle over five games, and Banchero was a primary factor. At 22 years old he is a full-grown man, though his game has plenty of room to grow.

“He’s impressed me since the moment he got here,” said Mosley.

The 6-foot-10, 250-pound Banchero is hard to get off his spot and just as hard to keep from getting to his next one. He plays with the poise of a veteran, surveying the floor, manipulating the defense and either using his strength to gain an advantage or using his vision to find a clearer edge. It is the kind of all-around game that translates well to the playoffs, and it sure did against one of the league’s best teams.

Banchero entered Game 5 averaging 32

NBA Mock Draft: Cooper Flagg to the Nets? Here’s a wild pre-lottery scenario that could happen

Since the NBA flattened the draft lottery odds in 2019, the three teams with the worst records all have a 14% chance of landing the first pick. On three occasions — in 2019, 2023, and 2024 — two of the three teams with 14% odds ended up falling out of the top three entirely. While it’s a deflating moment for fans and front offices, it’s a possibility worth preparing for: Mathematically, that’s actually the most likely outcome on lottery night with a 50.9% probability of happening.

What hasn’t happened yet is a full wipeout: all three of the worst teams fall out of the top three. There’s only a 15.7% probability of that happening, but now in the seventh year with these new lottery odds, maybe we’re due for it. And so that’s the scenario this latest mock draft explores: What happens if the Jazz, Wizards, and Hornets all don’t end up in the top three? It would be a crushing blow for each franchise, but in all likelihood at least one or two of them will experience that pain on draft night so it’s a possibility worth exploring.

Below is the first round for this mock. You can find this mock, plus a full second round and scouting reports for every single prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft Guide, which you can explore here.

Let’s get to the first round:

1. Brooklyn Nets: Cooper Flagg, F, Duke
   The Nets have a clean slate this offseason, so Flagg would be joining a team that could go in any sort of direction whether it’s a slow build or a quick turnaround. As a do-it-all forward who hustles like a madman, makes his teammates better as a passer, and has dialed in a knockdown jumper, he could fit anywhere. He’s both the best offensive and defensive prospect in this draft class, making him the safest No. 1 pick in ages. It’s his growth as a shot creator that will decide if he reaches his All-Star floor or soars to his Hall of Fame ceiling.

2. New Orleans Pelicans: Dylan Harper, G, Rutgers
   Harper is a big-bodied lefty combo guard with NBA blood in his veins, as the son of Ron Harper, who was a 20/5/5 guy before winning five titles as a role player. Like his father, Harper has a high floor with the skill, poise, and playmaking instincts to dictate the game at his pace, skills that could really help in New Orleans given Dejounte Murray is recovering from a torn Achilles. But the fate of Harper’s jumper will determine whether he’s an All-Star or just one of the NBA’s many solid guards, which makes him an imperfect fit on paper next to Zion Williamson.

3. Philadelphia 76ers: Ace Bailey, F, Rutgers
   Sixers fans would be happy they get to keep their pick. Bailey is a ridiculous shot-making machine, capable of splashing contested jumpers from every spot on the floor and with the swagger of a throwback bucket-getter. But his shooting consistency, plus his raw edges as a shot creator and defender, need sanding down to turn him into a full-on star. But Bailey isn’t a prospect who could help right away, so there’d be a great debate among Sixers fans whether his acquisition should signal a new future focus or if he should be utilized as a trade piece to bolster the present.

4. Houston Rockets (via Phoenix): VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor
   Jalen Green isn’t that guy. That much is clear watching the Rockets this postseason. If Green were traded, Edgecombe would make sense as a replacement as an explosive, high-motor wing who flies out of nowhere for poster dunks and chase-down blocks. He pairs his elite athleticism with a knockdown spot-up jumper and fearless slashing. Though he needs to improve his shot creation to become more of a primary creator, any trades the Rockets make would separately address that need.

5. Utah Jazz: Kon Knueppel, G/F, Duke
   With Isaiah Collier and Keyonte George already on the roster, can the Jazz really afford to draft another guard like Jeremiah Fears or Tre Johnson? Perhaps Utah would go in that direction since Collier and George both have shaky shots. Maybe neither of them are the guy. But they’ve both shown enough flashes to continue investing in them when Fears and Johnson aren’t guarantees to thrive anyway. Going with Knueppel would better fit Utah’s youth movement. Knueppel brings more than just a sharpshooter’s stroke thanks to his brainy pick-and-roll playmaking and crafty scoring feel. He’s got a

NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart stood at the scorer’s table, watching the Detroit Pistons extend their lead in the closing minutes of Game 5 and waiting to check in, waiting for the chance to try to turn the tide. And they just kept waiting.

Neither Brunson nor Hart were on the floor when Cade Cunningham dribbled across the timeline, took a high screen from center Jalen Duren and drove to his left. The Pistons’ All-Star point guard kept Miles McBride on his hip, attacked Karl-Anthony Towns in the paint and lofted in a runner over the Knicks’ big man, giving visiting Detroit a six-point lead over the Knicks with 1:57 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Brunson and Hart had checked out of the game a minute earlier, with New York trailing by two. Brunson appeared to reinjure the balky right ankle that’s been bothering him throughout this best-of-seven series while guarding Cunningham with just under four minutes to go. A few possessions later, Hart took a nasty fall after sliding over to contest a Cunningham drive, colliding with the Pistons star in midair and landing hard on his left arm and lower back.

After Duren had cleaned up Cunningham’s miss with a put-back dunk to make it 97-95, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau called timeout, checking Brunson and Hart out of the game. Hart walked gingerly past the Knicks’ bench and back toward the locker room. Brunson remained at the end of the bench during the timeout, crouching and at one point slamming a chair cushion in evident frustration.

Thibodeau put McBride and veteran backup point guard Cameron Payne in the game alongside Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby. The Knicks proceeded to miss four straight shots as the clock ticked down, with their two best initiators of offense — and with Brunson, the newly minted Clutch Player of the Year — standing at the scorer’s table, waiting to check in.

Some coaches might have instructed their players to commit a foul to force a stoppage in play, creating an opportunity to make a substitution. New York had already been whistled for five fouls in the fourth quarter, though, meaning that any personal foul committed would send Detroit to the free-throw line — and while the Pistons had their fair share of issues there, going 26 of 36 from the stripe for the game, every point conceded likely loomed large in Thibodeau’s mind after watching his offense sputter and strain for four straight quarters.

Asked after the game about choosing not to foul, Thibodeau said, “Just coach’s decision.”

The Knicks had one timeout remaining and could have called it once they gained possession to stop play and give Brunson and Hart a chance to check back in. But Thibodeau elected not to use it.

“Just where we were with our timeouts,” he said. “Coach’s decision.”

A number of factors go into that decision-making process, Thibodeau explained.

“You’re looking at time, score, the penalty, timeouts — all of the above,” he said. “What’s happening in the game? Do you feel like the next possession, you know, will put it away? There’s a lot that goes into it.”

That calculus led Thibodeau to stand pat: to let the players he had on the floor try to defend the Cunningham-Duren pick-and-roll that had been carving up the Knicks for large chunks of the second half and try to figure out how to generate good looks against a Pistons defense that has held New York to league-worst rates of offensive efficiency three times in the last four games.

“Well, yeah, we had some guys that were out,” Thibodeau said. “That’s, you know, the challenge. We didn’t know when they were coming back, if they were coming back. So that’s part of it. You got different combinations out there.”

From the time Brunson and Hart checked out to the time Thibodeau called that final timeout after an Ausar Thompson layup with 27.4 seconds remaining, the combination New York had out there got outscored 6-2, allowing Detroit to build a six-point lead. The Knicks would make the Pistons sweat, thanks to 3-pointers by Bridges and Anunoby … but that margin held up, allowing Cunningham and Co. to come away with a season-saving, series-extending victory and force a Game 6 in Detroit on Thursday.

“It’s tough,” said Brunson of sitting at the scorer’s table and being unable to get back into the game. “But I have the utmost faith, regardless of the result, in my teammates. Whoever’s out there — trust, faith, belief, all that. I’ll always have that for my teammates.”

The concern, after seeing Brunson and Hart need to come off the floor during the most critical stretch of the game, is what shape they’ll be in when the series resumes at Little Caesars Arena. Brunson, as is

NBA Playoffs: Boston Celtics Emerge Sharper and with Time to Heal After Grueling Series vs. Orlando

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics have advanced to the next round of the NBA playoffs with a decisive 4-1 series victory over the Orlando Magic. The Celtics dominated Game 5, winning 120-89, showcasing their resilience and depth despite facing numerous injuries.

Head coach Joe Mazzulla emphasized the importance of winning Game 5 over the potential rest it would provide. The victory not only secured their place in the next round but also granted them a few days of rest before their next opponent is determined. The Detroit Pistons’ win over the New York Knicks has extended their series, leaving the Celtics’ next matchup uncertain.

The series against the Magic was notably physical, with key players like Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Jrue Holiday dealing with injuries. Brown has been managing a right knee injury, Tatum suffered a bone bruise on his shooting wrist, and Holiday has been sidelined with a hamstring strain. The extra rest is crucial for the team to recover and prepare for the upcoming challenges.

Tatum excelled in the series, particularly in Game 5, where he scored 35 points, dished out 10 assists, and grabbed eight rebounds. His performance underscored the Celtics’ ability to adapt and overcome physical defenses. The Magic’s strategy of guarding the Celtics straight up and rarely helping on defense forced Boston to find other ways to score, which they did effectively.

The experience gained from this series is invaluable for the Celtics, who have been to the conference finals six times in the past eight years, including two trips to the NBA Finals and last year’s championship. Jaylen Brown highlighted the importance of learning from every playoff experience, especially the physical battles and finding ways to win despite adversity.

As the Celtics await their next opponent, whether it be the Knicks or the Pistons, they are confident that the challenges posed by the Magic have only made them stronger. Tatum and Brown are particularly focused on continuing their momentum and building on the lessons learned from this series.

The Celtics’ ultimate goal remains the same: to win the championship. With the experience of last season’s success behind them, this year’s team is approaching the playoffs with a relaxed yet determined mindset. Jaylen Brown expressed his gratitude for being part of such a storied franchise and his excitement to continue adding to its legacy.

For now, the Celtics will enjoy some well-earned rest before diving into the next round of the playoffs, ready to face whatever challenges come their way.

NBA playoffs: Jamal Murray, Russell Westbrook spark Nuggets past Clippers to claim 3-2 series lead

DENVER — Nikola Jokić is capable of doing it all. For the Denver Nuggets, it’s a lot better if he doesn’t have to. He didn’t have to Tuesday night.

Sparked by Jamal Murray’s 43 points and eight 3-pointers and a sizzling stint off the bench from Russell Westbrook, the Nuggets raced to a 131-115 Game 5 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. The win secured a 3-2 lead for the Nuggets, who can close out the first-round series Thursday.

Tuesday’s win marked a return to playoff form for Murray, who was instrumental in Denver’s run to the 2023 NBA championship. Hobbled by injury last postseason, Murray failed to match his prior-year form, and the Nuggets failed to advance out of the second round.

On Tuesday, Murray looked much more like his 2023 self. Murray scored 19 points in a first half the Nuggets fully controlled en route to a 67-59 lead. He then opened the third quarter with a step-back jumper to keep the momentum rolling.

His fifth 3-pointer opened the Nuggets’ lead to 80-63 early in the third quarter. When the Clippers threatened a run, Murray hit his sixth 3 to extend Denver’s lead back to double digits at 91-80. The Clippers never recovered.

“Some of the shots he made were just absolutely ridiculous,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “I said it before the game, it’s coming with him. You know it is, these big moments, these situations. He was born for this. Special night for Jamal.”

Murray added seven assists and five rebounds and shot 17-of-26 from the field and 8-of-14 from 3-point distance.

Can Murray maintain his form now that he’s healthy?

The game was Murray’s best of the playoffs and his first 40-plus point outing since he scored 55 in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Feb. 12. Murray struggled down the stretch of the regular season and missed six straight games with a hamstring injury before returning for Denver’s last two games.

Those absences coincided with a four-game losing streak that preceded the stunning dismissal of head coach Michael Malone. Murray’s now played in seven straight games, including four playoff contests in which he didn’t score more than 23 points.

“Rhythm is rhythm, whether it’s the playoffs or the regular season,” Adelman said of Murray. “You have to play. It’s not like we’re practicing a lot. Because you can’t really do anything. It’s in-game rhythm that he’s finding. It’s also the Clippers. They’re doing a good job. We figured a few things out that he totally capitalized on. Not to mention the incredible individual plays that he made tonight.”

Murray preferred to downplay his injury, declaring postgame “that was like four weeks ago.” He also downplayed his big night while crediting the win to a team effort.

“It was a big team win,” Murray said. “Guys were setting good screens. Guys were running the floor. Guys were being unselfish and passing the ball. Everybody was in a really good rhythm tonight. That was a big reason why we got the win.”

He did acknowledge that he was having fun Tuesday night and “playing free.”

“It’s everything,” Murray said. “It’s excitement. It’s nervousness. Everything comes into play, and that’s what makes it fun. That’s what makes this the most-watched time in basketball of the year and the most fun as a player to play. When I just have fun and I don’t think about it, we get games like this — not just from me, but from everybody.”

Murray wasn’t the only Nuggets hero

Westbrook was questionable until pregame warmups with a foot injury that sidelined him in Game 4. He was cleared just before tip, which turned out to be good news for the Nuggets.

Westbrook came off the bench with 4:42 left in the first quarter and the Nuggets holding a 25-17 lead. He returned to the bench with 3:49 left in the half to an ovation from the Denver crowd. Westbrook scored 16 points in his 13-minute stint to help keep the Nuggets in control with a 58-50 lead.

Westbrook hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions in the second quarter to extend Denver’s lead to 45-32. An and-1 layup and made free throw capped Westbrook’s 16-point scoring run. It also brought out his trademark rock-

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers: How to watch the 2025 NBA Playoffs game tonight

If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability subject to change.

Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves will face the L.A. Lakers for Game 5 of their first-round playoff series, will you be watching? (Matt Blewett-Imagn Images) (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters)

April 30, 2025 at 10:25 AM UTC · 3 min read

The Los Angeles Lakers entered the NBA Playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the West and are pitted against the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves, but despite the power combo of Luka Dončić and LeBron James, the Lakers trail the Timberwolves 3-1 in their series. (Should the Lakers have won Game 4? Some viewers think the refs missed a call that could have given them a lead in the game’s final minute.) The two teams meet again for Game 5 on Wednesday night in what could be the final game of the series if the Timberwolves pull it off.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to tune in to the Timberwolves vs. Lakers game tonight, and here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

How to watch the Timberwolves vs. Lakers Game 5:

Watch TNT, ESPN, NBA TV, local ABC and more

DirecTV MySports Pack

Try free at DirecTV

Watch ESPN, ESPN3, TNT

Sling Orange

$36 for your first month at Sling

Date: Wednesday, April 30

Time: 10 p.m. ET

TV channel: TNT

Streaming: Max, Sling, Hulu with Live TV and more

Where to watch the Timberwolves vs. Lakers game:

You can tune into the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers game on TNT, which is available on platforms like DirecTV, Sling, and Hulu with Live TV. The game will also be streaming on Max.

NBA Playoffs channel:

The NBA Playoffs will air across ESPN, ABC, TNT and NBA TV.

How to watch the NBA Playoffs without cable:

Watch TNT, ESPN and more

DirecTV MySports Pack

DIRECTV’s MySports pack is a curated live TV package geared toward sports fans, with access to ESPN’s suite of channels, TBS, TNT, USA, FS1 and an included subscription to ESPN+ for $69.99/month. The MySports pack guarantees access to thousands of live televised events, plus all the live-streaming and library content on ESPN+, all on one interface and one bill. You can try it for free for five days before committing.

Try free at DirecTV Stream

NBA games on TNT

Max Standard plan

Max, aka “the one to watch,” has select live sports available through its Bleacher Report Sports add-on, which is included free of charge for ad-free Max subscribers. On top of NBA games on TBS, TNT and TruTV, Max has buzzy shows including The Pitt, The White Lotus, The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, Dune: Prophecy and more. Ad-supported Max starts at $10/month. The Standard plan (which includes B/R Sports free of charge) costs $17/month.

$16.99/month at Max

Watch ESPN, ESPN3, TNT

Sling Orange

While Sling doesn’t offer a free trial these days, the playoffs will last longer than any free trial anyway. With Sling Orange, you can get access to playoff games on ESPN, ABC (simulcast via ESPN3) and TNT. Plus, Sling also has an option to bundle Max in with your Sling Orange subscription and save $5 on the overall price.

$36 for your first month at Sling

Watch ESPN, TNT and get ESPN+

Hulu + Live TV

Try free for 3 days at Hulu

Watch ESPN and more

Fubo TV

Try free at Fubo

Who is playing in the NBA playoffs?

Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies (Thunder wins series 4-0)

(2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Golden State Warriors

(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves

(4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) LA Clippers

Eastern Conference

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Miami Heat (Cavs win the series 4-0)

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Orlando Magic

(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Detroit Pistons

(4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks

2025 NBA playoffs TV schedule:

All times Eastern.

Tuesday, April 29

Game 5: Magic at Celtics, 8:30 p.m. (NBA

The Milwaukee Bucks’ season has concluded, but the questions surrounding their future are just beginning. Amidst swirling rumors about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the team, the Bucks superstar declined to address the situation following their loss to the Indiana Pacers. Antetokounmpo, who has repeatedly expressed his desire to play for a perennial championship contender, evaded questions about his future with the Bucks. Initially, he stated he didn’t want to discuss it, aware that his comments would attract attention. He later remarked, “I don’t know, man. I wish I was still playing.”

The Bucks’ 119-118 loss on Tuesday marked their third consecutive first-round exit from the playoffs. Despite being the lower seed this season, the team has struggled in the postseason, losing in the first round despite earning the No. 1 and No. 3 seeds in the previous two seasons.

The future in Milwaukee appears uncertain. The Bucks lack a first-round pick in this year’s draft, are not a particularly young team, and may not have Damian Lillard back next season as he recovers from an Achilles injury. This situation presents a challenging scenario for Bucks general manager Jon Horst, who recently signed a multi-year extension. Antetokounmpo has consistently expressed his desire to play for a team with championship aspirations. If he no longer believes this is possible with the Bucks, he could force Horst’s hand by demanding a trade.

Antetokounmpo is signed through the next two seasons, with a player option for 2027-28. However, even if he is content to remain with the team, it might be in Horst’s best interest to trade him. At 30 years old, Antetokounmpo would likely bring back significant resources that the Bucks could use to quickly rebuild their roster. While trading Antetokounmpo would be a significant blow to the fanbase, it might be the best course of action for the franchise.

Antetokounmpo’s status will likely be one of the biggest stories of the NBA offseason. His answer on Tuesday was overshadowed by on-court incidents following the game. Antetokounmpo engaged in a heated exchange with Tyrese Haliburton’s father, who taunted him after the game. He also had a verbal altercation with Pacers forward Bennedict Mathurin. Antetokounmpo addressed these incidents, emphasizing the importance of “being humble in victory.” Haliburton acknowledged that his father was in the wrong and said he would discuss the incident with him.

These moments might be the last Antetokounmpo spends in a Bucks uniform. Despite his accomplishments with the franchise, including leading the team to a championship in 2021, Tuesday’s incidents could mark a disappointing end to his tenure in Milwaukee.

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton’s father apologized to several parties after an on-court confrontation with Giannis Antetokounmpo on Tuesday night.

After his son put the nail in the Bucks’ coffin to help Indiana advance in five games, John Haliburton appeared to be in a verbal altercation with Antetokounmpo following the final buzzer. After the two shook hands and started exchanging words, Antetokounmpo and Haliburton got in each other’s faces and needed to be separated.

“I sincerely apologize to Giannis, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Pacers organization for my actions following tonight’s game,” an X account under John’s name wrote early Wednesday. “This was not a good reflection on our sport or my son and I will not make that mistake again.” The account, “@PapaHaliburton,” had been inactive for the past three years prior to the apology.

John Haliburton joined several Pacers fans who rushed to the hardwood after his son scored a game-winning layup in overtime to put the series to bed.

Antetokounmpo addressed the incident in an insightful answer during his postgame press conference.

“At the moment I thought he was a fan,” Antetokounmpo said. “But then I realized it was Tyrese’s dad. I love Tyrese. I think he’s a great competitor. [But] it was his dad. Coming in the floor and showing me his son, a towel with his face, [and saying], ‘This is what we do. This is what the F we do.’ I feel like that’s very, very disrespectful.”

“My dad … my dad’s not with us no more. My dad used to come into the family room and he was the most respectful person ever. When you come from nothing and you work your whole life to sell stuff in the street, your whole life you’ve been scared of the police deporting you and sending you back to your family and you have to protect your kids, you create this mentality of being humble your whole life. To not kind of disrespect anybody. To not make the attention high, the emotions high, so anybody can snitch on you or say something bad about you. So when he came here, I remember saying, ‘Dad, why are so you humble? Why do you go into the family room and don’t say a word, you sit in the back? Why are you like that?’ He said, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ That’s how I grew up. That’s what I had around.”

“So when I see other dads — which no disrespect, maybe if my son plays basketball, I might be in the court, I might be the one on the court and like 20 years later, you can play this interview and say Giannis, you’re contradicting yourself, but we’ll see in 20 years — but I’m telling you right now how I feel. Having somebody’s dad — and I’m happy for him and I’m happy for his son, that’s how he’s supposed to feel — but coming to me and disrespecting me and cursing at me is totally unacceptable.”

“I talked with him at the end and I think we’re in a good place,” he added.

Haliburton, who posted 29 points, nine assists and five rebounds in the win, also addressed his father’s actions postgame.

“Me and my pops had talked about that and I don’t agree with what transpired there from him,” Haliburton said. “I think he just got excited, saw his son make a game-winner, and came on the court. We had a conversation and I think he should just allow me to play basketball, stay over there and I’ll come to him to celebrate.”

“I’ll talk to Giannis about it eventually,” the Wisconsin native added, saying that he’d have a conversation with his father. “I don’t think my pops was in the right at all there. It’s unfortunate what happened at the end there.”

The fourth-seeded Pacers sealed a date with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals. The Cavs had the best record in the East in the regular season and swept the Miami Heat in the first round.