Pacers coach Rick Carlisle makes feelings clear on Tyrese Haliburton’s choke gesture: “Earned the right to do whatever he wants”

Tyrese Haliburton delivered the most memorable moment of Game 1 in the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday. The Indiana Pacers guard knocked down a deep shot to tie the game and force overtime.

Believing it was a three-pointer, Haliburton prematurely celebrated by mimicking Reggie Miller’s infamous “choke” gesture.

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Expectedly, Haliburton’s celebration became the talk of the basketball community, with many enthusiasts criticizing it. However, Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle had a differing opinion.

Carlisle defended his star player by claiming that the action was warranted after erasing a 17-point deficit.

"Players can do what they want," Carlisle said. "It's an emotional thing. It's not a big deal. ... At this time of year, you want to go into the most hostile, the most difficult environments and test your mettle. Go against Brunson, KAT, Bridges, these guys.

"This is a difficult time of the year. It's not a big deal to me. Tyrese has earned the right to do whatever he wants.”

Haliburton admitted he felt a bit embarrassed for breaking out the celebration before the outcome was sealed. Fortunately, he avoided becoming the butt of all jokes by leading the Pacers to a 138-135 victory in overtime.

"I just tried to gather myself and knock the shot down," Haliburton said during the on-court postgame interview. "I thought it was a 3. I tried to hit the celly and it didn't work, but we finished it in overtime… It felt appropriate, and then they went to overtime."

Tyrese Haliburton’s 31-point, 11-assist double-double played a crucial role in the Pacers achieving a historic feat – they became the first team in the last 27 years to clinch a win despite trailing by 14 or more points in the final 2:50 minutes of regulation.

Tyrese Haliburton receives lofty praise from his girlfriend

Tyrese Haliburton’s girlfriend, Jade Jones, has been an active social media user throughout the 2024-25 season, often showing her support for her partner and the Indiana Pacers. Wednesday’s clash was no different, as Jones took to Instagram stories to share highlights from the thrilling matchup.

Her stories featured a flurry of posts being reshared, including graphics and a clip of the dramatic final play of regulation.

But her heartfelt moment with Haliburton after the game garnered the most attention from the fans. In a video shared to her account, Jones is seen running onto the court to embrace her boyfriend with a warm hug.

“my baby,” Jones captioned her story.

Tyrese Haliburton is now averaging 18.7 points and 9.4 assists per game in the playoffs, playing a pivotal role in leading the Pacers to their highest postseason win total in over a decade.

The series will continue in New York City, with Game 2 set to tip off at Madison Square Garden on Friday.

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About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over four years of experience in the field with The SportsRush.

Advait has a love of basketball that stems from playing the game, and has represented Mumbai North at the Inter-District State Championship and Maharashtra at the ASISC National Games.

His favorite team is the New Orleans Pelicans, although Advait also has an affinity for the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. His favorite player of all time was Kobe Bryant, as the Lakers legend's undeniable talent and mentality were just unignorable. As for players in the current game, Stephen Curry, Zion Williamson, Victor Wembanyama, and Kyrie Irving are top of Advait's list.

When not watching or writing about sports, Advait is a fan of true crime shows, board games and console gaming.

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