By ALEX RASKIN
Published: 08:20 EDT, 20 May 2025 | Updated: 08:23 EDT, 20 May 2025
Hans Perez, the Indiana Pacers fan and firefighter who was seen taking verbal and physical abuse from Knicks fans, will attend Game 4 of the upcoming Eastern Conference Finals, thanks to his favorite player.
On Friday, after the Knicks completed their six-game victory over the defending-champion Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden, footage emerged of a brave Pacers fan in a Tyrese Haliburton jersey being harassed by throngs of joyous New Yorkers.
That man, who has since been identified as Perez, is seen peacefully walking away from Knicks fans, two of whom spiked trash bags off his head and shoulders. Meanwhile, dozens of others are seen pursuing Perez as he attempted to diffuse the situation.
Enter Haliburton, the Pacers All-Star and Knicks tormentor who led Indiana to a seven-game upset of New York in the 2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
As the 25-year-old guard told Perez on Pat McAfee's ESPN show, he will be flying the Pacers fan from the New York area out to Indianapolis for Game 4 of the series, which is set to begin Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.
'I personally wanna bring you and a plus one out to Indiana for game four,' Haliburton said. 'Everybody in our organization wants to make sure that you're taken care of.'
Hans Perez (right) was gifted two tickets to Game 4 of the ECF by Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton
Footage has emerged of New York Knicks fans attacking Perez, a rival Pacers supporter
The Knicks faithful threw bags of trash at Perez before chasing him down the Manhattan street
To his credit, Perez sounded surprisingly upbeat when discussing the ordeal with McAfee. In fact, he remembered a similar situation after last year's Eastern Conference semis that remained peaceful.
'I've been wearing that jersey all playoffs long, I've been supporting my Pacers, I had to go by Madison Square Garden,' Perez told McAfee. '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,' he added.
Haliburton averaged 21.3 points and 7 assists per game against New York during the 2024 playoffs and then cemented his status as a Knicks nemesis by squaring off with team point guard Jalen Brunson at a WWE event weeks later.
The premise of the match had to do with WWE's Logan Paul coaxing Haliburton and Brunson into a tag-team match with LA Knight at Madison Square Garden.
With Brunson seated ringside, Paul began the performance by calling for someone with experience winning at MSG.
'Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton,' Paul announced to a chorus of boos from the New Yorkers in attendance.
Paul then sauntered into the ring alongside the lankier, 6-foot-5 former Iowa State guard, who first took a moment to stare down Brunson.
A typical wrestling match ensued in front of the two NBA stars, who remained peaceful until Haliburton retrieved some brass knuckles from the crowd for Paul.
Haliburton signs an autograph for a fan, who was celebrating a successful cancer treatment
Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton and Logan Paul confront New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson and LA Knight during WWE SmackDown at MSG on June 28, 2024
Seeking to put a stop to any trickery, Brunson grabbed one of the WWE's ubiquitous folding chairs and entered the ring alongside Paul's opponent, LA Knight.
Some jawing ensued, but Haliburton and a defeated Paul ultimately retreated out of the ring, much to the delight of the Knicks loyalists in the crowd.
Unfortunately, Brunson appeared to irritate his surgically repaired left hand, which he broke in the Knicks' Game 7 loss to the Pacers at Madison Square Garden.
He wasn't in any noticeable pain, but Brunson did look down at his left hand and shake it after climbing into the ring with the folding chair.
'Jalen Brunson grimaced at his surgically repaired hand while doing a spot on WWE,' wrote the New York Post's Stefan Bondy on X. 'Would officially be the worst way to get hurt.'
The injury didn't prove to be a long-term problem and Brunson returned this season to earn his second All-Star nod and lead the Knicks to the Conference Finals for the first time in a quarter century.