Tyrese Haliburton reaches out & stuns Pacers fan who got heckled by Knicks supporters

The Tyrese Haliburton-led Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks will start their Eastern Conference Finals series on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. But even before the series kicked off, an altercation took place between the two fan bases. Knicks fans were filmed throwing trash at a Pacers fan after their Game 6 win against the Boston Celtics.

The Pacers fan, identified as Hans Perez, received harsh treatment in New York for being an Indiana fan in the Knicks mob. The incident prompted the Pacers to treat him with seats in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, as announced by Pacers star Haliburton.

“I personally want to bring you and a plus one out to Indiana for Game 4 here in Indiana. I’ll bring you guys out here,” said Haliburton, who was a surprise guest on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN, where Perez was also interviewed.

“Everybody in the organization wants to make sure that you are taken care of. All of the team is excited to meet you. It’s all we’ve been talking about. Everybody has seen the video,” Haliburton added.

In the East Finals, the Pacers and the Knicks are seen to rekindle their lost rivalry, stemming from their clashes in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Haliburton is expected to lead the Pacers, following an impressive showcase in the second round, where they beat the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in five games.

However, the Knicks get the home court advantage to start the series before it shifts to Indiana for Games 3 and 4, the matchup Perez will attend.

Pacers fan addresses viral video with New York mob

During his interview with Pat McAfee, Indiana Pacers fan Hans Perez explained how he got into the mob, resulting in the viral video.

Perez expressed how the jersey he was wearing in the clip had been his for a long time and that he was only there to get a preview of the Pacers’ matchup in the conference finals.

“I've been wearing that jersey all playoffs long, I've been supporting my Pacers, I had to go by Madison Square Garden," Perez said. "I said 'I don't know if I should go into the mob, but I'm gonna go close by, feel the energy, get ready for the series ... last year Pacers, Knicks Game 7, I was there, I was at the Garden, I had tickets, I was there with the Pacers jersey, they were a little nicer, it wasn't a Friday night, this year they got me.”

With his newfound connection with the franchise, Perez is expected to continue supporting the team even harder as they look to book an NBA Finals ticket this year.