Remember when the Washington Celtics and the Boston Celtics became heated rivals in 2017? When at one point Wizards players wore an all-black fit and referred to their Eastern semi-finals game as the Celts' funeral?
Those were fun times.
The NBA could use another rivalry and a good thing, the Milwaukee Bucks-Indiana Pacers rivalry is providing similar stuff in a boring first half of an 82-game season.
The two teams met five times already this season, including a Final Four match-up in the NBA season tournament win for the Pacers where words were said, signature celebrations were mocked.
They will not meet each other again in the regular season. Maybe in the playoffs.
Although this budding rivalry is temporarily suspended, there is no reason to believe it was nipped in the bud.
NBA fans can also find solace on the fact that at a time when players are buddy-buddy, some genuinely don't like each other. That's what makes a rivalry watchable.
The Milwaukee Bucks-Indiana Pacers rivalry is a must-watch TV these days and here are the reasons why.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo likes playing against them.
He hates that they took his career-setting ball game but he likes playing against them. He had two 50-point games this season and both came against the Pacers.
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The latest one was a 64-point explosion on December 13. It was the same game that led to Giannis running to the Pacers' locker room at Fiserv Forum to retrieve the ball he said he would give his mother.
In their NBA IST meeting, he scored 37 points and then notched a triple-double in the next one.
2. They got henchmen and trolls.
The beautiful thing about these two teams' animosity with each other is that players are not afraid of saying their stuff on and off the court.
Haliburton took a shot at Antetokounmpo's comments about the game ball-stealing incident by posting "cap" on X. Cap means the person is lying.
Damian Lillard, whose iconic Dame Time celebration was stolen by Haliburton also said his piece about the emerging star point guard's action.
"When you are having your moment, it's important to be careful, to be humble in your moments because you just never know how the tables are going to turn or when they are going to turn," Lillard said.
"I learned as a kid, when you dish it out, you've got to be willing to take it. For as many times as I've done it to people, I can't be upset when somebody else does it, you know what I mean. I think that's also a sign of respect and acknowledgment for knowing my history and knowing what I do."
Pacers center Miles Turner is not afraid to troll, too. When Giannis stormed to their locker room, Turner can be heard in a footage urging his teammates to not hand the ball to the angry Bucks MVP.
3. There is no escaping each other.
The exciting part about the two teams is that they can't escape each other. They are Central Division rivals and will meet around four to five times each season.
If the Pacers can develop into a title contender, there will be more quality games to expect.
This season, there is a possibility they will meet in the playoffs. If coach Rick Carlisle and Haliburton can keep their winning percentage pace, then fans are in for a treat.
Related article: Tyrese Haliburton's Dame Time Celebration and Other Players Who Went After Damian Lillard's Signature Celly
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