Triple H Congratulates Tyrese Haliburton after Win vs. Jalen Brunson amid WWE Rivalry
The rivalry between star point guards Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson has extended from the basketball court to the wrestling ring, and it was Haliburton who came out on top.
Haliburton helped lead the Indiana Pacers past Brunson and the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday to win the series 4-2 and earn a trip to the NBA Finals. After the Pacers' 125-108 win, WWE head of creative Triple H posted a congratulatory message to Haliburton that included a link to a new shirt featuring his "choke" sign celebration:
Haliburton and Brunson memorably had a confrontation on an episode of SmackDown at the Knicks' home of Madison Square Garden last June. The Pacers had defeated the Knicks in the conference semifinals in seven games but wound up losing to the Boston Celtics in the conference finals.
It seemed like part of a WWE script when the Pacers and Knicks met in the playoffs again this year, giving Haliburton and Brunson the chance to reignite their rivalry. Triple H even teased having more NBA stars appear at the SummerSlam premium live event at MetLife Stadium on Aug. 2 and 3.
Haliburton now has the advantage over Brunson once again, as he helped lead the Pacers to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. He will try to help achieve Indiana's first championship in franchise history when the team faces off against the Oklahoma City Thunder, starting with Thursday's Game 1.
