The bad blood is simmering between the Bucks and the Pacers.
The first-round NBA playoff series — which Indiana leads 2-0 after taking both games at home — already has featured constant jarring between the teams and several technical fouls.
And Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton didn’t mince words after his team’s 123-115 win Tuesday night in Game 2.
“We don’t have to sit here and act like it’s any secret,” Haliburton told reporters, according to ESPN. “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.”
Haliburton and Bucks guard Damian Lillard have jawed with each other during each of the first two games, even with the latter sitting out the opener while still recovering from a blood clot in his calf. Lillard returned to the lineup and scored 14 points in 37 minutes in Game 2.
“Just competitors,” Haliburton added. “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.”
The teams also squared off in the first round of last year’s playoffs, with the Pacers winning in six games before also taking out the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Pacers forward Pascal Siakam also briefly scuffled with Bucks wing Gary Trent Jr. after falling hard to the floor while wrestling for a loose ball during the first quarter of Game 2. Trent and Indiana’s Benedict Mathurin were assessed technical fouls following the altercation.
During the regular season, there also was a postgame conflict between the teams over Giannis Antetokounmpo attempting to secure a game ball following a 64-point game.
“I feel like there’s a lot of animosity, a lot of back and forth,” Antetokounmpo said Tuesday. “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–t, if you poke me, I’m right there. I’m not backing down.
“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–king deal, man. I just know the deal. I know what I’ve got to do.”
Haliburton added that he doesn’t expect the chippiness to dissipate when the series shifts to Milwaukee for Game 3 on Friday night.
“I’m sure you’re going to continue to see that through the course of the series,” Haliburton said. “Everybody says the league rivalries aren’t here anymore. Well, it’s right here. So, this is an interesting series.
“We’ve played each other, it feels like, a million times over the last two years. I’ve seen every different coverage that they could throw at us. And I feel like those guys probably feel the same way about us. But there’s still a lot of series [left], you’ve got a lot of games to play. So, I’m sure there’ll be more heated moments, more competitive moments.”
