Pacers pull ahead in overtime thriller
Tyrese Haliburton completed a three-point play with 1.6 seconds left, capping his first post-season triple-double in his first home playoff game to give the Indiana Pacers a 121-118 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.
Indiana leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 on Sunday in Indianapolis. Two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo again sat out for Milwaukee because of a strained left calf.
Haliburton had 18 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds. Myles Turner added 29 points and nine rebounds, both playoff career highs, to help give Indiana its first backto-back post-season wins since taking three straight in the 2014 Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Pacers also have their first lead in the playoffs since Game 3 of a first-round matchup against Cleveland in 2018. Indiana hasn’t won a series since reaching the 2014 Eastern Conference final.
Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton banked in a three-pointer with 1.4 seconds to force overtime and had a chance to force a second overtime, but his three bounced off the side of the rim as the buzzer sounded.
Middleton finished with 42 points, his playoff career high, plus 10 rebounds and five assists after missing practice Thursday because of a sprained right ankle. Damian Lillard added 28 points and eight assists, most coming after he hurt his left Achilles late in the first quarter.
It was a wild finish in front of a festive crowed decked out in gold T-shirts for Indiana’s first home playoff game since April 21, 2019 — and with many local favourites in attendance. The crowd included former Indiana Fever newcomer Caitlin Clark and former Colts coach Tony Dungy.
But these fans never expected the experienced Bucks to methodically trim a 19-point first-half deficit to 90-83 after three quarters or to open the fourth on a 10-2 run to take a 95-92 lead on Bobby Portis Jr.’s putback early in the fourth.
The teams then traded baskets, ties and leads over the final 7 1⁄2 minutes, with Pascal Siakam’s putback with 19.1 seconds left giving the Pacers a seemingly safe 109-106 lead. But Siakam missed the ensuing free throw, Middleton answered with a mid-range and the three to tie it. Siakam’s long three to win it hit off the back of the rim at the buzzer.
It was more of the same in overtime — until Haliburton broke free for a 15-foot runner that drew a foul and led to the decisive three-point play.
Clark, the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft and Division I career scoring leader, drew a standing ovation as she revved up the crowd in the team’s pre-game IndyCar replica.