Tyrese Haliburton stood tall when it mattered most, burying Milwaukee’s hopes with a game-winning shot in the dying seconds to complete a dramatic overtime comeback and send the Indiana Pacers into the second round with a 119-118 win over the Bucks.
In front of a roaring Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd, the Pacers erased a 20-point deficit and overturned a seven-point overtime hole in the final 40 seconds to stun the Milwaukee Bucks 4-1 in their first-round series.
It was Haliburton who was held scoreless in the first quarter but delivered the final blow, rising up with 1.3 seconds left to knock down the shot that broke Milwaukee’s resistance and hearts.
“I’m built for this,” Haliburton declared earlier in the series. He backed that up with 26 points, six assists, and a defining dunk to tie the game in regulation.
The Bucks, playing without the injured Damian Lillard, looked in control for long stretches. Gary Trent Jr. caught fire after a cold start, draining eight of his final nine threes, including four in overtime. His 33-point outburst had nearly silenced Indiana, until his costly turnover helped spark the collapse.
Giannis Antetokounmpo fought valiantly, posting an astonishing triple-double of 30 points, 20 rebounds, 13 assists, but couldn’t prevent Milwaukee’s unraveling. He missed a potential game-winner at the end of regulation and was later involved in a tense on-court altercation with Haliburton’s father.
The game swung violently. Indiana rallied from an early 13-0 hole, sliced a 20-point gap to six by halftime, and weathered another Bucks surge late in the fourth. But when the Pacers found rhythm, their fast-paced offense overwhelmed.
For Milwaukee, the fallout is grim. Lillard’s torn Achilles clouds next season and the future of the franchise’s Giannis-era project. His $54.1 million cap hit looms, and his long-term form is uncertain at 35.
The Pacers, meanwhile, march on to face the Cleveland Cavaliers. What began as an uphill climb has now turned into momentum and in Haliburton, Indiana has found its heartbeat.
