On Tuesday night, Tyrese Haliburton made a remarkable 4-point play that left Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in disbelief. The Indiana Pacers narrowly defeated the Bucks with a final score of 115-114, thanks to Haliburton’s incredible performance.
Haliburton received an inbounds pass with only seconds remaining on the clock and the Pacers trailing by three points. As he moved towards the corner, he took a shot over Antetokounmpo, who collided with him, causing Haliburton to fall to the ground right in front of the Bucks’ bench. Despite the contact, Haliburton’s shot was on target, earning him a crucial trip to the free-throw line.
Following a lengthy review that confirmed the foul and Haliburton’s shot, he successfully converted the free throw, securing the one-point victory for the Pacers.
“It feels good,” he expressed on TNT. “We struggled to make shots all night, I missed some big ones down the stretch, made some boneheaded plays. It’s only right that that one falls.”
In his standout performance, Haliburton contributed 14 points and 10 assists for the Pacers. The game-winning 3-pointer was only his second successful shot from beyond the arc that evening. Pascal Siakam led the team with 25 points and 12 rebounds, while Bennedict Mathurin added 17 points off the bench.
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 19 points, 17 rebounds, and seven assists in the losing effort, dropping their season record to 36-28. Brook Lopez also performed well with 23 points, and Taurean Prince contributed 18 points.
Both the Pacers and the Bucks now have identical 36-28 records following this game, with the Bucks maintaining a higher standing in the Eastern Conference. The race for the No. 4 seed in the playoffs is intense, as the Pacers, Bucks, and Detroit Pistons are closely competing, trailing the third-place New York Knicks by five games.
Next, the Pacers will face the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday before a rematch with the Bucks at Fiserv Forum on Saturday.