Tyrese Haliburton says his brother was the victim of racist abuse in the stands during Game 1 of the NBA playoffs between the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks.

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said his brother was given a nickname while watching Sunday’s playoff game from the stands against the Bucks in Milwaukee.

Pacers guard Haliburton revealed the details Tuesday night after his team beat the Bucks 125-108 to even the playoff series at 1-1. Both matches took place at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

“My little brother in the stands the other day was called the N-word,” Haliburton told reporters. “It was important for us as a family to resolve this issue.

“It was important for us to talk about it because it didn’t sit well with any member of our family. It was just important to have my family here at this time, and my little brother handled it the right way.

The Bucks were asked about Haliburton’s comments after Tuesday’s game.

Haliburton’s brother was watching the first game between the Pacers and Bucks this weekend

“An arena customer service representative reported that during Sunday’s game, a few guests were not seated in their correct seats,” a Bucks spokesperson responded. “The customer service representative asked the group to move a section to its proper place.

“Then one of the individuals in the group told the representative that someone sitting across from him had used a derogatory term towards him. The accused denied the accusation. The group moved to their appropriate place and no further incidents were reported.

“We take our fan environment extremely seriously and are committed to providing a safe and secure experience.”

Haliburton, who has three brothers and grew up near Milwaukee, scored 12 points Tuesday night as the Pacers beat the Bucks 125-108.

The third game of the series will take place Friday in Indiana.