Haliburton and Pacers eliminate Bucks from playoffs, closing OT with 8-0 run to win 119-118

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton thought he let the Indiana Pacers down in the fourth quarter.

Turns out, he was just warming up for one of the most memorable finishes in franchise history.

Indiana forced two turnovers in the final 29 seconds of overtime, and Haliburton blew past Giannis Antetokounmpo for the go-ahead layup with 1.3 seconds left to close an 8-0 run that sent the Pacers past the Milwaukee Bucks 119-118 on Tuesday night for a 4-1 series victory.

“This one will go down as one of the all-time great Pacers wins because of the circumstances, because of what was on the line,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “Ty, obviously, authored a big part of this ending. So congratulations to him.

”The Pacers will face top-seeded Cleveland in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 1 is Sunday.

Haliburton finished with 26 points and 10 assists as he improved to 9-0 in home playoff games. But after missing some open shots and a layup late in regulation, Haliburton needed his teammates’ support to help the Pacers steal another series from Milwaukee.