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Wheat Hotchkiss

Tuesday, April 30 at 9:30 PM ET at Fiserv Forum

After reeling off three straight wins, including two at Gainbridge Fieldhouse over the weekend, the Pacers have a chance to close out their best-of-seven first round series with the Bucks in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Milwaukee.

The sixth-seeded Pacers have taken firm control of the series by dictating the tempo over the last three games. In their three victories, the Blue & Gold have averaged 124 points while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from 3-point range.

In a 126-113 victory on Sunday night in Game 4, the Pacers went 22-for-43 (51.2 percent from beyond the arc). Myles Turner — the longest-tenured Pacer — was spectacular in the victory, going 7-for-9 from distance while racking up 29 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.

RELATED: Turner Ignites Home Crowd with "Sensational" Performance in Game 4 >>

The Bucks have played all series playing without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is recovering from a calf injury suffered late in the regular season. Milwaukee also was without All-Star point guard Damian Lillard on Sunday after he reaggravated a lingering Achilles injury in Game 3. All-Star forward Khris Middleton has also been playing with a sprained right ankle.

It remains to be seen who will be available for the Bucks in Game 5. Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said Antetokounmpo went through a workout on Sunday morning that left him "optimistic" that the star forward could potentially return in the series, while he also said that Lillard could be back as well. Whether that means either will be available for Game 5 remains to be seen.

PLAYOFF CENTRAL: Follow Indiana's Postseason Run at Pacers.com/Playoffs >>

No matter who goes, the Pacers will face a tough test on Tuesday trying to close out a series in a road environment against a veteran team. Middleton, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, and Pat Connaughton all were members of the Bucks' 2021 NBA championship team, while Patrick Beverley and Jae Crowder also have extensive playoff experience.

For the young Pacers, winning the series would be a significant milestone. The Blue & Gold have undergone a significant roster rebuild over the past couple seasons, building around All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton. This is the first playoff experience for many players on the roster, including Haliburton, but they've risen to the moment and are now on the precipice of leading the Pacers into the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the first time in a decade.

Pacers: G - Tyrese Haliburton, G - Andrew Nembhard, F - Aaron Nesmith, F - Pascal Siakam, C - Myles Turner

Bucks: G - Patrick Beverley, G - Malik Beasley, F - Khris Middleton, F - Bobby Portis, C - Brook Lopez

Pacers: Bennedict Mathurin - out (right shoulder labral tear)

Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo - TBA (left soleus strain), Damian Lillard - TBA (right Achilles tendinitis), Chris Livingston - TBA (non-COVID illness)

April 28, 2024: The Pacers set a franchise playoff record by making 22 3-pointers in a 126-113 win over the Bucks in Game 4 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Pacers led by three points at halftime, but just a 14-2 run late in the third quarter to open up a 17-point lead. Milwaukee got back within six in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, but eight straight points from Myles Turner (including back-to-back threes) pushed Indiana's lead to double digits, where it remained for the rest of the night.

The Blue & Gold finished the night 22-for-43 (51.2 percent) from beyond the arc. Turner led the charge by going 7-for-9 from distance on his way to 29 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. Turner's seven threes tied the franchise record for most 3-pointers in a playoff game, joining a list that includes Chuck Person (1991), Reggie Miller (1995, 2000), Paul George (2014), and Bojan Bogdanovic (2018).

Six Pacers scored in double figures in Game 4. Tyrese Haliburton scored 24 points, Andrew Nembhard tallied 15 points and nine assists, while the trio of Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith, and Obi Toppin all tallied 13 points.

Brook Lopez led the Bucks with 27 points on 12-of-18 shooting and nine rebounds. Khris Middleton added 25 points, 10 boards, and five assists.

Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)

TV: TNT - Announcers TBABally Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)

Secure playoff tickets by placing a deposit on a 2024-25 season ticket package or get exclusive presale access for future rounds by subscribing to Pacers Insider. Get more details at Pacers.com/Playoffs.

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Game Preview: Pacers at Bucks (Game 5)

INDIANAPOLIS – The Pacers are headed to Paris in 2025 for a two-game series with the San Antonio Spurs, the NBA announced today, the fourth NBA Paris Games 2025 presented by Tissot. The games will take place on Thursday, January 23, 2025, and Saturday, January 25, 2025, the first time the NBA will play two regular-season games in the French capital in the same season.

These regular-season matchups will mark the Pacers’ first trip to France, second and third regular season games in Europe, and tenth and eleventh internationally played games in franchise history.

“The Pacers enjoy tremendous support from fans globally, and we are excited about the opportunity to be a part of the NBA’s efforts to continue bringing the game to new generations of fans all around the world,” said Kevin Pritchard, Pacers President of Basketball Operations.

Pacers fans can make the trip to Paris to catch these historic games and cheer on the team, as well. By visiting https://nbaexperiences.com/nba-paris-game-2025, they can explore Official NBA Experience Packages, which include game tickets, premium hospitality, VIP events, hotel accommodations, and more. Fans can also register to receive additional updates and news about NBA Paris Games 2025 presented by Tissot.

The last time the Pacers played internationally was in 2019, when the team traveled to Mumbai, India, to take on the Sacramento Kings in a preseason matchup. It was the first-ever NBA game played in India, part of the NBA’s ongoing effort to bring the game of basketball to fans across the globe.

While in Paris, the Pacers and Spurs will conduct interactive fan activities, NBA Cares community outreach initiatives, and Jr. NBA youth basketball development programming, in addition to the games themselves.

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Indiana Pacers to Face San Antonio Spurs in Paris for Two Regular Season Games in January 2025

There's under eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter in Game 4 on Sunday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Myles Turner — the longest tenured Pacer — has given the sellout crowd plenty to cheer about, adding several new clips to his already extensive highlight reel in this building.

He just hit his fifth three of the night on the previous possession to push Indiana's lead back to double digits. Bucks forward Jae Crowder is whistled for a foul on Pascal Siakam with 7:34 to play. During the brief lull in the action, a chant starts to build in the upper rafters of the Fieldhouse, building up quickly like a snowball rolling down a hill, and soon seemingly all 17,274 are chanting in unison.

The Pacers inbound the ball and Turner sets a screen above the 3-point arc for Andrew Nembhard. After Nembhard dribbles by him, Turner moves left, catches a dish from Nembhard, and hoists another three.

The ball swishes through the net. Bucks head coach Doc Rivers calls a timeout. Turner skips backward toward the Pacers bench, then spins around to look at the crowd, holding his right hand to his ear.

That put the Pacers up 108-94. The Bucks never got back within single digits, as Indiana cruised to a 126-113 win and now leads the best-of-seven series, 3-1. The Blue & Gold are now one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, something they've never done in Turner's nine seasons with the franchise.

One of the biggest reasons they're in that position is the play of Turner. He tallied 22 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and three blocks in Tuesday's Game 2 win in Milwaukee. He dropped 29 to go along with nine rebounds in Friday's Game 3 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

And he was sensational on Sunday, scoring 29 points while going 10-for-17 from the field and 7-for-9 from 3-point range to go along with nine rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.

The Bucks were without stars Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Damian Lillard (Achilles) on Sunday and lost starting big man Bobby Portis seven minutes into Game 4 after he was ejected for shoving and then swinging at Nembhard. But Milwaukee hung around for much of the night, only trailing by three at halftime and continuing to make runs into the second half.

But when the Pacers needed it most, Turner repeatedly delivered, igniting the crowd and sparking key runs that lifted the Pacers to victory.

The Bucks were still hanging around, trailing 83-76 when Milwaukee center Brook Lopez stepped to the free throw line with 5:16 remaining in the third quarter. But Lopez missed both foul shots, with T.J. McConnell rebounding the second miss and pushing the break.

As McConnell weaved his way to the rim, he spotted Turner running the floor and tossed the ball back to the big man as he streaked through the lane. Turner gathered and rose up from well outside the restricted arc. Lopez was there to contest, but Turner powered through him, throwing the ball through the rim with his right hand with authority.

Whether it was a dunk or something else is up for debate, but it certainly was a poster, reminiscent of two other memorable postseason dunks Turner previously had in this building, a baseline slam over Tristan Thompson in 2017 and a thunderous dunk over Gordon Hayward in 2019.

"Obviously it’s up there, but for me personally, I was just joking with my teammates — I feel like every postseason I get one of these since I’ve been in the league," Turner said of his dunk on Lopez. "So it’s nothing new for me. I tell them all the time, I’m not dunking the regular season, but postseason I’ll be straight. Got my legs right, just saw an opening and was able to make a great play."

The difference in this dunk and Turner's previous highlights? The Pacers lost both of those games. In fact, they were swept in both those series. This time, not only did the Pacers win, but they're now in the driver's seat to win the series.

On the possession after his posterizing moment, Turner spotted up in the left corner, caught a dish from McConnell, and drained a three, unleashing a primal scream in front of the Bucks' bench as the ball fell through the net.

Those five points helped trigger a 14-2 Indiana run that pushed the Pacers' lead to 17.

But the Bucks kept coming. Milwaukee used a 7-0 spurt at the start of the fourth quarter to make it a 98-92 game. It was still a six-point game when Turner hit a jumper with 9:17 to play. A minute later, he popped to the top of the key after setting a screen for Tyrese Haliburton. When both defenders went with Indiana's All-Star point guard, Haliburton kicked back to Turner, who drained the three.

Lopez missed a three on the other end, Nembhard grabbed the rebound, and then Crowder fouled Siakam. That's when the chants started serenading the Pacers center.

"That was special," Turner said. "I didn’t realize I hit the three while they were chanting my name. I saw that afterwards. But that was very special, just knowing how much the city means to me and they reciprocated that love.

"It was a dope moment for me. It’s definitely up there, and to happen in front of my family."

Moments like that are earned. Turner came to Indiana as a 19-year-old in 2015, when the Pacers drafted him with the 11th overall pick out of the University of Texas. Over the years, he's grown into a community pillar and a vocal leader of the locker room.

He's started for all nine of his seasons, playing alongside Paul George and George Hill, Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, and now Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. He's been a part of six playoff teams and stayed with the team through its recent rebuild, the one constant on a roster that has undergone several drastic transformations over the last decade.

Turner has sponsored a fan zone in Gainbridge Fieldhouse since 2016 and makes a point to give back to the community with his W.A.R.M. initiative. His family has become part of the Pacers family. They have seats in the front row on the south baseline. After Sunday's win, the 28-year-old shared an emotional embrace with them.

Turner is best known across the league for his rim protection, having led the league in blocks twice in his career. But he is also capable of stretching the floor as a shooter, something he proved on Sunday.

Turner's seven 3-pointers tied a Pacers playoff franchise record, joining a list with Chuck Person (1991), Reggie Miller (1995 and 2000), Paul George (2014), and Bojan Bogdanovic (2018) as the only players in franchise history to make seven threes in a postseason game.

Turner said he had studied film of his shooting stroke in recent games and noticed he was leaning more than he should be on his shot. He made some subtle adjustments to his form on Sunday and went 7-for-9 from distance.

"He was sensational on both ends of the floor," Pacers forward Pascal Siakam said. "Just playing with a lot of maturity and force, which is what we need from him…Just being a beast out there on both ends. He’s been great."

"He’s been doing it all year," McConnell added. "He's just the anchor to our defense and he can be a mismatch for a lot of teams the way he’s able to step out and make shots...He was obviously really, really good tonight and deserved that - those fans calling his name. He played really well."

No player was more excited for Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host playoff games this weekend than Turner, one of just two players on the roster (along with Doug McDermott) who played in the last playoff series in the building in 2019. When he was asked after Game 2 what his message was to Pacers fans ahead of this weekend, he responded, "Can I cuss? Scream y’alls (expletive) heads off."

The fans answered the call, with Turner providing many of the loudest moments. If he has his way, there are a lot more highlights yet to come this postseason.

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Turner Ignites Home Crowd with "Sensational" Performance in Game 4

Jordan Morey

Sunday, April 28 at 7:00 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

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Game Recap: Pacers 126, Bucks 113

The Indiana Pacers have held home court and are one win away from the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Making a Pacers franchise playoff record 22 3-pointers on Sunday, Indiana (3-1) beat a short-handed Milwaukee Bucks squad 126-113 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Bucks will host Game 5 on Tuesday night at a time to be determined by the NBA.

Six Pacers players scored in double figures, led by 29 by veteran center Myles Turner, who finished 10-for-17 from the field (7-for-9 from 3-point range). Turner’s seven made threes are tied for the most in a playoff game by a Pacers player, with just Chuck Person (1991), Reggie Miller (1995, 2000), Paul George (2009) and Bojan Bogdanovic (2018) also accomplishing the feat.

RELATED: Turner Ignites Home Crowd with "Sensational" Performance in Game 4 >>

After Turner, Tyrese Haliburton had 24 points on five made 3-pointers, Andrew Nembhard logged 15 points, and Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, and Obi Toppin each scored 13.

Overall, the Pacers shot 51.7 from the field, including 22-for-43 from 3-point range (51.2 percent). Seven different players made a 3-pointer for Indiana in the game.

Milwaukee shot 51.1 percent from the field (12-for-33 from 3-point range ), and was led by center Brook Lopez’s 27 points. After Lopez, Khris Middleton scored 25 and Malik Beasley put in 20.

Milwaukee played without two of their stars on Sunday, as two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo remained sidelined with a calf injury and Damian Lillard missed his first game of the series due to an Achilles injury sustained during Game 3. Their status for the remainder of the series is unknown.

“The guys did a great job of keeping pressure in the game,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “The fans were fantastic. We had some really good individual performances...But when you're in a playoff series and you win, your celebrations have to be pretty short and you have to keep focusing. That will be our task. Tuesday, I have an idea what’s coming then with their crowd and everything. Important win, we’ll get ready for Tuesday.”

In the first half, the Pacers made 12 of 22 shots from 3-point range to lead 67-64. Milwaukee kept it close by shooting 59.6 percent from the field in the first 24 minutes.

Haliburton had 15 points in the first half for the Pacers and Turner scored 13.

While the Pacers made seven 3-pointers in the first quarter on 12 attempts, with a different player making each one, the teams tied at 33-33 by the end of the frame as the Bucks shot 58 percent overall from the field.

After Indiana shot 3-for-8 to start the game, Haliburton scored six straight points for the Pacers and Turner and Nesmith each added 3-pointers to put the Blue & Gold up 17-16 with 5:30 on the clock.

With 5:01 left in the opening quarter, tensions boiled, and Bucks starting forward Bobby Portis was ejected from the game after shoving Nembhard and slapping him in the head on a play under the visitors’ basket.

After each team hit a free throw, Toppin came off the bench and scored three straight baskets for the Blue & Gold, including an alley-oop dunk off a half-court pass from Haliburton, to put the Pacers up 24-21 with 3:41 left in the first quarter.

Rookie Ben Sheppard, Doug McDermott, and Toppin all hit treys in the last 3:13 of the first quarter, but the score stayed tied at 33 after 12 minutes of play.

T.J. McConnell made a trio of buckets to start the second quarter, while also dishing out five assists, before the Pacers strung together a 13-4 run from 9:24 to 6:21, thanks to seven points by Turner, to lead 54-46 with 6:21 left in the half.

While Indiana made shots down the last stretch of the first half, so did the Bucks, as the visitors narrowed the lead to three a trio of times before intermission.

Indiana shot 57 percent from the field while holding Milwaukee to 34.8 percent shooting in the third quarter to lead 98-85 heading into the final frame. The Pacers shot 7-for-14 from 3-point range in the period.

After Lopez scored a basket out of halftime, Haliburton went on a self-imposed 9-0 run by draining three straight 3-pointers to put the Blue & Gold ahead 76-66 and force a Bucks timeout.

The Bucks answered with five straight points out of the huddle before a Toppin layup, Turner poster dunk over Lopez, and Turner 3-pointer – Indiana’s record-breaking 17th of the game – put the Pacers ahead 88-76 with 4:37 left in the third quarter.

Indiana didn't lay off the gas from there, as Nesmith made a 3-pointer, McConnell hit a fade away from close range and Toppin converted a layup to give the Pacers a 13-point lead.

Milwaukee made three straight baskets in the first 90 seconds of the fourth quarter to narrow the score to 98-92, but then Turner caught fire again – scoring eight straight points for the Pacers in a 10-2 run to give the Blue & Gold a 108-94 lead with 7:24 left in the game. Turner made two 3-pointers during the stretch, with the crowd chanting his name before draining the one before a timeout.

In the final six minutes of action, the Pacers never let go of the double-digit advantage as Nembhard made three straight shots, Siakam converted an and-one and hit a mid-range jumper, and Turner splashed his seventh 3-pointer.

“I think after that first game, we watched a lot of film and just saw some of the holes in the defense,” Turner said of his historic 3-point shooting night. “We realized that there were open spots for us to exploit. A lot of it being just read and react, read and react, which is what our offense is. I’ve been shooting threes my entire life. I didn’t really shoot too many in college or coming into the league, but I’ve always been capable. I’ve put in a lot of work to get to where I need to be. Just going to continue to keep putting my work and the results will continue to show.”

Indiana finished with 33 assists in the game and turned the ball over just seven times.

Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell combined for 17 assists and zero turnovers.

Turner has scored 29 points in each of the last two playoff games, which are both career-bests in a postseason game.

Both starting centers shot the ball at a high clip, with the Bucks’ Brook Lopez going 14-for-18 from the field and Turner finishing 10-for-17 from the field.

Indiana’s bench outscored the Bucks’ reserves 32-28.

The Pacers had just seven fastbreak points in the game and the Bucks finished with five.

Khris Middleton has recorded double-doubles in each of the last two games.

There were 10 lead changes and four ties in the game.

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Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Game 4) | April 28, 2024

“Our pressure wasn’t where it needed to be in the first half. We were able to pick it up in the second half. It helps. We gotta keep adjusting to what’s going on with their team. They're changing things up, they’re playing different guys. They’re doing different schemes. We’ve got to keep abreast of it and keep trying to counter.” – Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle on the team's defense in the second half

“I thought both of those guys played amazing games. Lopez was spectacular and so was Myles. It was a great battle between the two of them.” – Carlisle on Turner and Lopez

“It ramped up the intensity of the overall game. It didn’t make the game any easier in my mind. I think Portis is a very underrated player. Credit to them, when they lost one of their weapons, they kept their level high. It was a three-point game at halftime and a lot of continued work in the second half to get the win. I didn’t see a replay of what happened or anything, so I don’t know anything other than what the officials told me right afterwards.” – Carlisle on Portis and the ejection

“Obviously it’s up there, but for me personally, I was just joking with my teammates — I feel like every postseason I get one of these since I’ve been in the league. So it’s nothing new for me. I tell them all the time, I’m not dunking the regular season, but postseason I’ll be straight. Got my legs right, just saw an opening and was able to make a great play.” – Myles Turner on his poster dunk and where it ranks among his career highlights

“That was special. I didn’t realize I hit the three while they were chanting my name. I saw that afterwards. But that was very special, just knowing how much the city means to me and they reciprocated that love. It was a dope moment for me. It’s definitely up there, and to happen in front of my family. It was a very special moment for me.” -Turner on hearing the fans chant his name

"We’ll celebrate tonight, but we need to get right back to it tomorrow. We still have one more game to win. Never too high, never too low.” – Turner on the win

“I think we’ve got to understand all year we’ve struggled when teams miss their guys. That’s kind of been the story of our season, losing games we’re quote-unquote supposed to win. Just looking at this, it could have been like some call it a trap game, just letting your guard down…We didn’t want to do that. We wanted to come out and play the right way. That was important.” - Tyrese Haliburton on not overlooking the undermanned Bucks

“Just important for us to do our thing. I think the way games go — like Game 1 I felt like they dictated the tempo. And I would say the story of the last three games is we have. And usually that comes from who can get enough stops to really play their style of play…We made a decision after Game 1 that no matter what, we were going to dictate the pace, on makes, on misses. That’s really how we’ve created our identity the whole year. I think people know on makes, on misses that we’re pushing the ball. I think that that’s important for us. We’ve kind of got back to that these last three games. And in a world, in a league that says oh, you can’t play fast in the playoffs, we don’t really believe in that. We’re going to be who we are and put our identity and our imprint on our game.” - Haliburton on the importance maintaining their pace

“The  21-point quarter enabled us to get out and do what we do best, which is get out in transition and run, and get the crowd into it. There was the possession where Myles got the dunk and three, and so it got the crowd involved in a big way. That was from our defense.” – T.J. McConnell on the third quarter and second-half defense

“He was obviously really, really good tonight and deserved that - those fans calling his name. He played really well.” – McConell on Turner

“There were the first two (playoff) games I’ve played in this building and (it was) incredibly, incredibly loud, and they’ve been incredibly important to what having a home court (advantage) is like in the playoffs. They have really willed us to win these games and we’re very thankful for that.” – McConnell on the crowds at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

“I feel like it’s the law of averages.  We haven’t shot the ball well from three. We were due to kind of break out for one. We just gotta continue to shoot the open ones.” – McConnell on the Game 4 3-point shooting.

Indiana made a playoff franchise record 22 3-pointers against the Bucks on Sunday. The previous record was 16.

The Pacers travel to Milwaukee for Game 5 against the Bucks on Tuesday, April 30.

If necessary, the Pacers will host the Bucks for Game 6 on Thursday, May 2. Find Tickets >>

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Game Rewind: Pacers 126, Bucks 113 (Game 4)

In the center of a sea of gold, Indiana Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton let his instincts take over as he lowered his head and barreled out of the backcourt in the final ticks of overtime.

After navigating between two Milwaukee Bucks defenders near the mid-court stripe, Haliburton propelled himself down the middle of the lane and rose up just inside the free throw line with a floater, lifting the ball over a man in the middle and turning a historical performance into a legendary one.

With a triple-double already logged — just the fourth in Pacers playoff history — Haliburton's tear-drop from 15 feet fell, a foul was called, and he converted the ensuing free throw to help the Blue & Gold to a 121-118 Game 3 win and a 2-1 series lead over the Bucks on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

As the final buzzer sounded, Haliburton grabbed the corners of his jersey near his collarbone and bellowed with his head high towards the deafening Hoosier crowd, reciprocating the electric energy fans supplied for 53 minutes.

“I live for these moments,” Haliburton said. “That’s why I’m here. They have a lot of trust in me; this organization does. I felt like with six seconds, it was enough time for me to get a good look, and it happened.”

Haliburton's game-winner punctuated his final stat line of 18 points, 16 assists, and 10 rebounds. In Pacers NBA playoff history, only Victor Oladpio (2018), Paul George (2013), and Mark Jackson (1998) have also recorded triple-doubles.

Additionally, Haliburton's 16 assists on Friday are the second-most in a playoff game by a Pacers player, just one short of Jackon’s record of 17 assists set against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1998.

“Tyrese does what he does,” Pacers starting forward Aaron Nesmith said. “We need him to be who he is, and that’s the player that he is. That’s the player that he can be. We’re just happy to have him on our side.”

From the first play, a dime to Myles Turner on the opening possession, Haliburton was locked in.

Haliburton had six points, four rebounds, and five assists in the first quarter alone, distributing the ball to four different players while also crashing the glass and putting pressure on the rim to help orchestrate a 39-22 lead. The 39 points matched the most points ever by a Pacers team in any quarter in the playoffs, set in 2000 in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

In the second quarter, Haliburton continued to dish no-look passes while also throwing down a putback dunk on an offensive rebound to help the Pacers to a 67-55 halftime lead. The Wisconsin native had eight points, 11 assists and five rebounds at the break.

After a so-so third quarter by his standards, Haliburton had a hand in almost every key play in the final stretch of the fourth quarter.

Tied at 97 with six minutes left in regulation, Haliburton hit a step-back 3-pointer to put the Pacers in front before conducting the offense in the closing minutes. In the final 4:10, Haliburton assisted on back-to-back baskets by Turner and blocked a shot attempt by 7-foot-1 Bucks center Brook Lopez.

Despite missing shots early in the overtime period, Haliburton collected three big defensive rebounds before coming up with the clutch finish.

“As the series has progressed, his defensive tenacity has ramped up,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “His awareness for the little things involved in playoff basketball has become keener. His five offensive rebounds were huge tonight.”

On the game's final play, the Pacers gave Haliburton latitude on how to approach the last possession.

“I just knew I was shooting it no matter what,” Haliburton said. “Didn’t know what I was going to get to, it was just kind of based off of feel out there. Khris (Middleton) pushed Pascal up to tell Patrick (Beverley) to go under, so as soon as I saw Patrick kind of turn his head I just rejected and that opened everything up across the middle."

In no small part thanks to Haliburton’s ball distribution, Turner finished with a career playoff-high 29 points in the game.

Turner wasn’t surprised Haliburton came though, and saluted him on the floor after the final buzzer.

“I think he understands what time of year this is,” Turner said. “Even defensively, he’s really moving, he’s very active, he’s using his length.”

Postgame, Haliburton said he’s not trying to get too high off the Game 3 results, and the focus is on getting two more wins to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Indiana will host Milwaukee for Game 4 on Sunday at 7 p.m. Visit Pacers.com/Playoffs to get your tickets today.

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Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Game 3) | April 26, 2024

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Haliburton Caps Historic Game 3 Performance with Overtime Heroics

Friday, April 26 at 5:30 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

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Pacers-Bucks Game 3 Mini Movie

Playing his first ever playoff game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Tyrese Haliburton conjured up memories of Reggie Miller, hitting a game-winning shot in overtime to lift the Pacers to a 121-118 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 3 of their best-of-seven series.

Tied at 118 with 6.7 seconds remaining after another heroic three from Bucks forward Khris Middleton, the Pacers ran a play that saw Haliburton sprint from the sideline into the backcourt, where he took an inbound from Andrew Nembhard.

That allowed the All-Star guard to get a get a head of steam as he sprinted towards the basket, burying a runner through contact from Patrick Beverley with 1.6 seconds to play. After sending the sell-out crowd into hysterics, he knocked down the ensuing free throw.

"I just knew I was shooting it no matter what," Haliburton said. "Didn’t know what I was going to get to, it was just kind of based off of feel out there. Khris pushed Pascal (Siakam) up to tell Patrick to go under, so as soon as I saw Patrick kind of turn his head I just rejected and that opened everything up across the middle."

Haliburton's heroics gave Indiana the victory and a 2-1 series lead over the third-seeded Bucks.

It was the fitting end to a memorable night for Haliburton, who recorded just the fourth postseason triple-double in franchise history, finishing with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 16 assists.

Haliburton was just 7-for-21 from the field and 1-for-12 from 3-point range before his final attempt, but he got a shot to fall when the Pacers needed it most.

"I finally made a shot," he quipped in his postgame press conference. "I couldn’t buy a bucket today."

Haliburton had to wait until his fourth NBA season to get his first taste of playoff basketball, but once he did, he didn't wait long to add his name to Pacers postseason lore.

"I live for these moments," Haliburton said. "That’s why I’m here. They have a lot of trust in me, this organization does. I felt like with six seconds, it was enough time for me to get a good look and it happened."

RELATED: Haliburton Caps Historic Game 3 Performance with Overtime Heroics >>

The Pacers appeared to have Game 3 won in regulation, but Middleton's last-second 3-pointer sent the game into overtime.

In the extra session, Middleton and Myles Turner traded jumpers before a wild Pacers possession that began with 3:23 on the clock and ended with 1:42 and somehow ended with no points. Indiana missed six shots in that sequence, managing to come up with five offensive rebounds before Damian Lillard pulled down a missed three by Haliburton and dished ahead to Middleton, who was fouled on the break.

Two free throws from the veteran put Milwaukee up 115-113 with 1:35 remaining, but Andrew Nembhard answered with a jumper to tie the game with 1:03 remaining.

After Middleton missed a contested shot on the other end, the Pacers ran down the shot clock. As the seconds ticked down, Haliburton dished to Pascal Siakam at the free throw line, who immediately passed to Aaron Nesmith in the left corner. Nesmith buried a three in front of the Bucks' bench to put the Pacers in front with 14.4 seconds to play.

The Bucks called timeout, then ran a play that got Middleton a look at the top of the arc, which he somehow banked in with 6.7 seconds remaining.

That's when Haliburton stepped into the hero's role, hitting a dramatic basket that proved to be the game-winner.

On the other end, Middleton didn't have an answer this time, as his 3-point heave from left wing came up short at the buzzer and the Pacers held on for a dramatic victory.

Turner led Indiana with 29 points and nine rebounds in the victory, going 10-for-21 from the field and 4-for-10 from 3-point range. Siakam added 17 points, nine rebounds, and four assists.

The Pacers led by as many as 19 in the first half and didn't trail until under 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter. There were five lead changes and four ties over the next six minutes and the two teams were tied at 104 with four minutes to play on Friday.

Middleton banked in a fadeaway with 3:53 remaining, but the Pacers countered on the other end, with Haliburton driving and dishing to Turner for a slam.

Neither team scored over the next two minutes. After Nembhard missed a long three, Middleton corralled the rebound but stepped out of bounds on the sideline with 1:30 remaining while trying to push the ball up the floo.

After a timeout, the Pacers ran the shot clock down. Nesmith had to hoist a contested jumper at the buzzer. It missed, but Siakam came up with the rebound and Nembhard was fouled by Beverley with 56 seconds remaining.

The Pacers were in the bonus, so the second-year guard headed to the free throw line. He missed the first, but made the second to give Indiana a 107-106 lead.

On the other end, Lillard missed a jumper. Haliburton ran the shot clock down before hoisting a three from the right wing. He missed, but once again Siakam was in the right place, gathering the rebound and putting it back up through contact from Lillard with 19.8 seconds left. After a replay review confirmed the call, the 30-year-old forward missed a free throw that would have made it a two-possession game.

Middleton's layup with 9.6 seconds left kept Milwaukee's hopes alive and the visitors fouled Nesmith with 6.9 seconds remaining. The fourth-year forward ignored some barking from the Bucks' bench and confidently knocked down both shots from the charity stripe.

After a timeout, the Bucks inbounded to Brook Lopez at the top of the key who handed to Middleton. The four-time All-Star dribbled right and launched a deep three, that fell through the net to tie the game at 111 with 1.4 seconds remaining.

"We did have a scenario to foul and we just didn’t do it," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. "He was so far out on the first one, we laid off and didn’t lunge at him. And then the second one was a similar situation. I know that question will come up. When those things go wrong, it’s on me. I take responsibility for that."

The Pacers took a timeout and inbounded to Siakam, but he couldn't get a three to fall from the left wing, sending the game into the extra session.

Middleton, who wasn't even cleared to play in Game 3 until a little over an hour before the game because of a sprained right ankle, was sensational for Milwaukee in the loss, finishing with 42 points on 16-of-29 shooting (4-of-9 from 3-point range), 10 rebounds, and five assists.

Lillard added 28 points and eight assists for the Bucks. The eight-time All-Star went just 6-for-20 from the field, but was 12-for-12 from the free throw line.

The Pacers jumped in front on their very first possession of Game 3, with Turner knocking down a three from the top of the key and the Blue & Gold methodically built their lead over the opening frame.

Haliburton attacked the basket on two straight possessions a few minutes in, first throwing down a two-handed dunk and then converting a tough finish in traffic to put Indiana up 14-8.

Obi Toppin checked in off the bench immediately after that sequence and made an immediate impact of his own, scoring 11 of Indiana's next 15 points while converting his first five shots.

The Bucks — already without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo due to a calf injury — seemed to suffer another blow late in the first quarter when Lillard fell to the ground after converting a layup with 2:32 remaining in the frame. Lillard immediately grabbed his left knee and remained down as Toppin converted an alley-oop on the other end. He was helped to the locker room, but somehow returned to start the second quarter.

Still, the Pacers took advantage of Lillard's brief absence, extending their lead to as many as 19 points and taking a 39-22 lead into the second quarter.

Milwaukee mounted a charge in the second quarter, gradually chipping away at the margin and getting it to 49-39 on Brook Lopez's layup with 6:28 remaining in the first half. The Pacers responded on the next two possessions, with Haliburton finding Toppin for a three and then rookie guard Ben Sheppard converting a three-point play to push the lead back to 16.

But the Bucks kept coming, reeling off an 11-2 run capped by Middleton banking in a jumper to make it a 57-50 game with 3:22 to play before halftime.

The Pacers closed the half with a 10-5 spurt to build back some breathing room, capped by a memorable play by Haliburton, who flew in for a putback slam of an Nembhard miss to cap the scoring the first half.

It was a fitting close to a half where the Blue & Gold dominated the hustle categories, outscoring Milwaukee 20-6 in second-chance points.

Nembhard scored the first five points of the second half to push the lead to 17, but the Bucks once again clawed back. The visitors closed the frame with a 17-9 spurt — capped by a midrange jumper from Middleton at the buzzer — to trim their deficit to 90-83 entering the fourth quarter.

Milwaukee continued its surge in the fourth quarter, with Lillard drilling a deep three to make it 92-90 with 10:23 to play. That forced a timeout from Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, who went back to his starters, but Lillard swished another three on the Bucks' next possession to give them their first lead all night.

Bobby Portis' putback pushed Milwaukee's lead to 95-92 before Pascal Siakam righted the ship with four straight points to put Indiana back in front with 7:24 remaining.

The Bucks retook the lead briefly on a Middleton floater, but Haliburton answered with a stepback three with 6:01 remaining. On the other end, Lillard drew a foul and hit both free throws to tie the game at 99, but once again, Haliburton answered, this time with a runner at 5:14.

Lillard drew contact once again, converting both free throws to tie the game once again with 4:59 remaining. Portis and Turner then traded threes over the next minute, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

"It was a lot of fun," Haliburton said. "A lot of energy in the building. Just a really fun game. Playing in overtime, like what more could you ask for? Really fun atmosphere and I look forward to playing another game here in a couple days."

Six Pacers finished in double figures in the win. Nembhard tallied 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Toppin scored 15 points off the bench. Nesmith had 13 points, eight boards, and three steals.

Portis finished with 17 points and 18 rebounds for Milwaukee. Lopez tallied 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting, while Beverley had 11 points, but fouled out on Haliburton's game-winner.

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