Tyrese Haliburton game-winner lifts Indiana Pacers past Milwaukee Bucks 119-118 in overtime
- Chas Post
- Apr 30
- 2 min read
Tyrese Haliburton hit a game-winning layup in the final seconds to lift the Indiana Pacers past the Milwaukee Bucks 119-118 in an unforgettable finish, ending overtime on an 8-0 run to escape with a win and advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals for a second straight season!
It appeared the Bucks might stave off elimination after jumping out to a 13-0 advantage and taking a 30-13 edge into the second quarter but the Pacers slowly chipped away at the deficit and eventually took a 52-51 lead as Andrew Nembhard drilled a 3-pointer early in the third period.
Both teams traded punches throughout the fourth quarter as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Gary Trent Jr. put the Bucks up 103-99 with 53.1 seconds remaining in regulation but Haliburton slipped past the defense and threw down a game-tying dunk with 10.8 seconds to force overtime.
Trent made three consecutive 3-pointers to give the Bucks a 117-111 lead with 47.5 seconds to go before the Pacers scored eight straight points, highlighted by Haliburton's game-winner to secure a berth in the conference finals in back to back seasons for the first time since 2014.
Haliburton posted a team-best 26 points and Myles Turner totaled 21 points in the win. Antetokounmpo compiled 30 points, 20 rebounds and 13 assists, and Trent Jr. added a game-high 33 points but it just wasn't enough as Indiana advanced to face the top seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.
"I missed a lot in overtime but they kept trusting me to make plays. You know what time it is," Haliburton said. "I have to make plays. That's what this team relies on me to do. We started so slow but we figured it out in the end and that's what the playoffs are about. It's a big win for us."
Pacers stats leaders:
Tyrese Haliburton: 26 points, 9 assists
Myles Turner: 21 points, 9 rebounds
Aaron Nesmith: 19 points, 12 rebounds
Andrew Nembhard: 15 points, 6 assists
Pascal Siakam: 10 points, 4 rebounds
Bucks stats leaders
Gary Trent Jr: 33 points, 5 rebounds
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 30 points, 20 rebounds
AJ Green: 19 points, 4 rebounds
Bobby Portis: 14 points, 10 rebounds
Kevin Porter Jr: 11 points, 7 assists
Series breakdown
Game 1: Pacers 117-98
Game 2: Pacers 123-115
Game 3: Bucks 117-101
Game 4: Pacers 129-103
Game 5: Pacers 119-118
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