Indiana Pacers take down Milwaukee Bucks to advance to In-Season Tournament Finals
LAS VEGAS — The Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks faced off for In-Season Tournament Semifinal action on Thursday night. It was the first-ever Semifinal game for the event, and it was played in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena.
The Pacers could feel before the game that this was a bigger deal than the typical outing. Indiana was playing on a bigger stage than normal and riding a high from earlier this week, so controlling their emotions and playing their game was going to be important.
To start the game, they looked ready. They jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead, showcasing how easily they can create open shots from anywhere on the floor. Star guard Tyrese Haliburton was getting to his spots with ease.
Milwaukee regained the lead at 6-4 and was cruising as the quarter progressed. Former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was, as usual, tough for the Pacers to stop and had eight points in under five minutes to get things going. Indiana took a timeout trailing 19-12 with 7:03 to go in the first quarter.
Indiana responded with good play as Antetokounmpo went to the bench. Myles Turner was giving the Pacers quality minutes and good offensive output. He had 10 points in less than eight minutes to start the game and the Pacers cut the lead to 23-20.
When the Greek Freak returned, the Bucks surged to end the quarter. They went up by six late in the frame, but the blue and gold responded with four points in the final minutes. Milwaukee led 29-27 after one quarter.
The second quarter went back-and-forth for the first three minutes, but the Pacers were more consistent. They were ahead 36-34 at that time — T.J. McConnell and Aaron Nesmith made important plays for the second unit.
McConnell's impact continued as the quarter progressed. His energy, drives, and defense were contagious, and the Bucks didn't appear ready for it. That pushed the Pacers ahead, and their lead got as high as eight.
Damian Lillard finally got a shot to drop in the middle of the second quarter after a slow start. His inaccuracy early was a massive benefit to Indiana, and him getting going could change the game.
Instead, it was the Pacers who hit a groove. The game was being played at their ideal pace for much of the second quarter, and they were scoring with ease. They ballooned their lead as high as 12 points late in the frame.
That deficit remained as halftime arrived. The Pacers were ahead 63-51 at the break, with Turner's 16 points leading the way. Tyrese Haliburton had 11 points and seven assists at the time. Indiana had to be thrilled with their opening two quarters.
The second half scoring opened with a Lillard three, and Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle instantly took a timeout. The half had only been going for 52 seconds, but his team had already made a few mistakes.
Haliburton scored out of the timeout to give the Pacers another double-digit lead, but the Bucks quickly erased it. Milwaukee was fantastic as time continued. Their stars were getting whatever shots they wanted, and some small defensive adjustments helped slow Indiana down.
It took less than five minutes for the Bucks to gain the lead. They hit a stride to open the third quarter. Haliburton, though, had answers for the Pacers and kept them right in it.
Carlisle called a timeout with 6:16 to go and his team down 76-72. They were getting smacked in the third quarter to that point, with Haliburton's buckets the only thing keeping them alive. Milwaukee's zone defense was a game changer.
The next stretch of action went back-and-forth with the two teams trading baskets. Indiana still had no answer for Milwaukee's star players in the second half, but they settled in offensively after a sluggish open to the third period. Andrew Nembhard was playing well on both ends and giving the Pacers good minutes.
Nobody could create separation down the stretch of the frame, and the Bucks led 94-91 heading into the final 12 minutes. The Pacers were outscored 43-28 in the third quarter.
Winning time started with a 4-0 Pacers run, which put them back in front. They needed that stretch. Their bench group, which was led by McConnell and Nembhard, was playing well.
They maintained their lead for the first few minutes of the period, with Antetokounmpo checking in just before the nine minute mark and Indiana ahead 99-98. His presence alone could change this game, but the Pacers had momentum.
Indiana held a small lead with about seven minutes left in the quarter when Nembhard tumbled to the floor with an injury. He was excellent for much of the second half, but he needed to be carried to the locker room. His absence was going to hurt.
The Pacers stayed poised and were scoring well during crunch time. Offense is their bread and butter, and they showed it late. Milwaukee couldn't get enough stops to go on a run — they were struggling to keep up.
In the final two minutes, Indiana came alive. Bruce Brown had a much-needed steal, which led to a score, and Haliburton hit a massive three on the next possession. The Pacers were up eight with 48 seconds to go.
They played the free throw game perfectly and held on to win 128-119. Indiana is going to play in Saturday's In-Season Tournament Finals. They will play either the New Orleans Pelicans or Los Angeles Lakers.
Haliburton finished with 27 points and 15 assists. Turner had 26 points and 10 rebounds. They were both excellent.
The Pacers are now 12-8 and resume the regular season next Monday.
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