After a thrilling Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, in which the Indiana Pacers edged out the Knicks 138-135 in overtime, a sweet moment unfolded between Pacers point guard Tyrese Halliburton and his girlfriend, Jade Jones.
Jones made a quick escape from the stands, running onto the court at Madison Square Garden to jump into Halliburton’s arms, a moment captured on her Instagram Story.
She shared her excitement with the caption “My baby,” accompanied by a yellow heart emoji.
In another Instagram clip, Jones reposted a long jumper by Halliburton that bounced off the back of the rim, tying the game at 125-125 when time ran out.
The Pacers maintained their momentum in overtime to secure the win.
Adding to her excitement, Jones exclaimed “Whowww” along with a photo of Halliburton celebrating with his teammates.
In a playful nod to Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, both Halliburton and Jones mimicked choke gestures toward the crowd—a reference to Miller’s famous victories over the Knicks in the 1994 Eastern Conference Playoffs.
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Jones has been a constant support for Halliburton throughout his NBA career since he was drafted by the Kings in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft.
She even traveled to Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics, where she watched Halliburton compete for Team USA. The couple initially met as students at Iowa, where Halliburton played basketball and Jones cheered.
In April, they celebrated six years together. Earlier this week, Halliburton shared a light-hearted moment with reporters about the ongoing Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Knicks.
Meanwhile, his father, John, has not attended games since a previous incident where he stormed the court following Game 5 against the Bucks, sparking a conversation with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
After a post-game meeting, John announced he wouldn’t be attending future Pacers games and later issued a public apology to both the team and Antetokounmpo.
This series is a rematch from last year’s semi-final, adding another layer of tension as the Pacers aim to build on their previous playoff victory in seven games.
Before this latest series began, Halliburton expressed enthusiasm for continuing the historic rivalry with the Knicks. “It’s all fun, guys,” he remarked. He reflected on the competitive atmosphere, saying he looked forward to playing in the Knicks’ arena and what the crowd energy would bring.
Game 2 is set to take place on Friday night in New York.
