In a surprising turn of events, the Indiana Pacers secured a spot in the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament final by defeating the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks 128-119 in the semifinals held in Las Vegas.
The Pacers, who led 63-51 at halftime, found themselves down 106-105 midway through the fourth quarter after a Giannis Antetokounmpo dunk. However, Bruce Brown’s decisive 13-footer with 6:15 remaining gave Indiana the lead, and they never looked back. Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and Tyrese Haliburton played crucial roles in maintaining the lead, with Haliburton hitting a back-breaking 3-pointer and finishing with a game-high 27 points and 15 assists.
The victory sets up a final showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers, who dominated the New Orleans Pelicans with a 133-89 win in the other semifinal.
Haliburton’s impressive performance included an 11-for-19 shooting display, contributing to the Pacers’ overall 49 percent shooting, surpassing the Bucks’ 44.8 percent. Turner recorded a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds, while the Pacers’ bench outscored their Milwaukee counterparts 43-13.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 37 points and 10 rebounds, going 13-for-19 from the field and 11-for-13 from the free-throw line. Despite outscoring the Pacers 36-21 on 3-pointers, the Bucks couldn’t overcome the resilient Pacers, who had previously beaten them 126-124 at home last month.
The Pacers’ unexpected journey in the in-season tournament has added an extra layer of excitement, making Saturday’s final against the Los Angeles Lakers a highly anticipated matchup.
