Tyrese Haliburton stunned the Milwaukee Bucks with a four-point play in the final seconds, sealing a 115-114 victory for the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.
Milwaukee head coach Doc Rivers took responsibility for the defensive lapse that left Haliburton open, acknowledging his team had prepared for Indiana’s alignment but failed to execute.
“We’ve seen [the Pacers’ alignment], we’ve worked on it,” Rivers said, per The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “We just lost him. That’s on us.”
With Indiana trailing by three, Haliburton caught an inbound pass near the sideline, faded over Giannis Antetokounmpo, and drilled a game-tying three while drawing a foul.
The All-Star guard calmly sank the free throw with 3.4 seconds remaining, completing the decisive four-point sequence.
Antetokounmpo had a chance to respond but missed a contested three at the buzzer, securing Indiana’s first win in four games.
“There was no reason to switch, and we just did,” Rivers said. “[Haliburton] was open the whole play, and so there was miscommunication there. I always think that’s on me and my staff.”
Haliburton, returning from a hip injury, finished with 14 points and 10 assists, providing a much-needed spark to Indiana’s struggling offense.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 25 points and 12 rebounds, while Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin added 13 and 17 points, respectively.
Milwaukee, now tied with Indiana at 36-28, was led by Brook Lopez’s 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting.
Antetokounmpo posted 19 points, 17 rebounds, and seven assists, but his late three-point attempt fell short.
Damian Lillard had 15 points and 11 assists but struggled from the field, hitting just 4-of-14 shots.
Kyle Kuzma and Taurean Prince combined for 27 points, but Milwaukee’s late-game execution proved costly.
The Bucks held a three-point lead before Haliburton’s heroics shifted the momentum in the closing seconds.
Indiana shot 50.6% from the field, narrowly trailing Milwaukee’s 51.2%, but the Pacers capitalized on critical possessions.
With the playoff race tightening, Indiana’s victory could impact home-court advantage in the first round.
Milwaukee, searching for consistency under Rivers, will look to bounce back in its next outing.
