Tyrese Haliburton drove for the game-winning basket as the Indiana Pacers held off a late Milwaukee charge to beat the Bucks 121-118 in overtime on Friday and take a 2-1 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference playoff series.
Haliburton delivered a triple-double of 18 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists to help the Pacers withstand a 42-point performance from Milwaukee forward Khris Middleton, who drilled a three-pointer to tie it with 2.3 seconds left in regulation and made another trey to knot it at 118-118 with eight seconds left in overtime.
With 1.6 seconds remaining in overtime, Haliburton took an inbounds pass and split the Bucks defense as he drove for a one-handed floater.
Fouled on the play, he made the free throw to cap the scoring. Middleton, playing through a sprained right ankle, was unable to work another three-point miracle as time expired.
“I just knew I was shooting the ball,” Haliburton told broadcaster ESPN. “I told everybody, just give me the ball, let’s go win the game.”
The Pacers escaped with the win in a game they led by 19 points in the first quarter and by 17 in the third.
With two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo still sidelined by a calf injury, the Bucks couldn’t match Indiana’s early pace.
But Damian Lillard shook off an early injury scare that had him limping off briefly in the first quarter to score 19 of his 28 points in the second half to help the Bucks claw back.
They took the lead for the first time on Lillard’s three-pointer early in the fourth quarter, the lead changing hands six times in the fourth as they battled to overtime.
“Every possession is so valuable,” Haliburton said. “You’ve got to dig in. The game’s never over.”
Myles Turner scored 29 points for the Pacers, who will try to stretch their lead when they host game four on Sunday.
In Friday’s other games, Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Suns trying to avoid falling into an 0-3 hole after the Timberwolves won the first two games of their Western Conference series in Minneapolis.
No NBA team has rallied from an 0-3 deficit to win a playoff series.
The Dallas Mavericks, who split two games with the Clippers in Los Angeles, will try to gain the upper hand in their Western Conference series when they host game three.
Dallas’ MVP award finalist Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 55 points as Dallas seized home court advantage from the Clippers in a game-two victory.
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