Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton Trolls Bucks' Patrick Beverley with Damian Lillard Quote
May 3, 2024
Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton took some creative parting shots at Milwaukee Bucks guard Patrick Beverley following a first-round series victory on Thursday night.
After Indiana's 120-98 win in Game 6, Haliburton took time to respond on X to a video of Beverley explaining his defensive plan for the All-Star prior to the series.
Haliburton put his post in quotes, as he was referencing a Jan. 2023 post from Bucks star Damian Lillard. When Lillard was previously a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, he also called Beverley a "con man." At the time, the defensive-minded guard played for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Lillard and Beverley clashed often before they joined forces, and Haliburton appears to be well aware of that. After Beverley was traded to the Bucks on Feb. 8, he acknowledged that he needed to "get my relationship right with Dame" in order for Milwaukee to compete for a championship.
Hoop Central @TheHoopCentral"I gotta get my relationship right with Dame…It's time to win a championship."<br><br>- Pat Bev<br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/PatBevPod?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatBevPod</a>, h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WorldWideWob</a>)<br><br> <a href="https://t.co/68CLYViFKz">pic.twitter.com/68CLYViFKz</a>
Although the two were able to coexist peacefully on the same team, they weren't able to make it out of the first round. The absence of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo loomed large, as he missed the entire series due to a calf strain.
While Haliburton struggled with his consistency from behind the arc, he was able to help the Pacers earn their first playoff series victory since 2014. In six games, he averaged 16.0 points and 9.3 assists per game on 43.5/29.6/85.7 shooting splits.
Even though Beverley took shots at Haliburton before the series started, the 24-year-old ended up getting the last laugh.