Tyrese Haliburton bounced back from a frustrating fourth quarter to script one of the most unforgettable finishes in Indiana Pacers playoff history, as his go-ahead layup with 1.3 seconds left capped a furious 8-0 run in overtime to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 119-118.
With the win, the Pacers close out the first-round series 4-1 and advance to face the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 1 is set for Sunday.
“This one will go down as one of the all-time great Pacers wins because of the circumstances,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “Ty, obviously, authored a big part of this ending.”
Haliburton tallied 26 points and 10 assists, improving to 9-0 in home playoff games. Despite missing several crucial shots late in regulation, he came through when it mattered most—blowing past Giannis Antetokounmpo for the game-winning bucket.
Antetokounmpo posted a triple-double with 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 13 assists in a valiant effort for the injury-riddled Bucks, who were missing Damian Lillard after his Achilles injury in Game 4. Gary Trent Jr. led Milwaukee in scoring with 33 points and hit four threes in overtime, but his two costly turnovers in the final 30 seconds sealed their fate.
Andrew Nembhard ignited Indiana’s closing run by draining a clutch 3-pointer to cut the Bucks’ lead to 118-114. Seconds later, he stole an inbound pass from Trent, setting up Haliburton’s three-point play. Another Bucks miscue—Trent losing a long pass out of bounds—led to Haliburton’s game-winning layup.
“The turnovers obviously were huge,” said Bucks coach Doc Rivers. “But I thought we had two huge defensive mistakes… We came out of the timeout with a foul to give and didn’t use it. Those are the things that just kill you.”
Myles Turner added 21 points and nine rebounds for the Pacers, while Aaron Nesmith chipped in with 19 points and 12 boards.
Tensions flared after the final buzzer, with players engaging in a midcourt shoving match—sparked when Haliburton’s father ran onto the court to confront Antetokounmpo. Meanwhile, Haliburton celebrated Reggie Miller-style on the scorer’s table, leading the yellow-clad home crowd in raucous cheers.
“I got a little down about it,” Haliburton admitted of his earlier misses. “But my teammates encouraged me. They said we’d get a chance to win it—and I just wanted to be ready.”
The Bucks have now lost three straight first-round series, two of them to the Pacers, in what has become a fiery Central Division rivalry.
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