Indiana Pacers Fight Off Milwaukee Bucks in 121-118 Overtime Win

1. First Quarter

Indiana’s sold-out crowd was roaring to start the game and provided a spark for the players on the court. In games one and two, Milwaukee blitzed Indiana. Neither team delivered a haymaker to start this one. Indiana took the lead and didn’t let it go in the first quarter. Milwaukee trimmed it to two after a layup with 7:46 left. Indiana went on a 12-4 run to take the first double-digit lead of the game. Obi Toppin scored five points to put Indiana ahead by ten with 4:29 left in the quarter. The run would last a while for Indiana. The Pacers outscored the Bucks 29-14 the final 7:46. T.J. McConnell put the team ahead by nineteen points after knocking down a three then a layup. After twelve minutes, Indiana led 39-22.  Toppin led all scorers with 11 points followed by Myles Turner and Middleton with 8 points. Indiana shot a blistering 63% compared to 30% for Milwaukee.

2. Second Quarter

Milwaukee would respond after that first quarter run from Indiana. They quickly cut into Indiana’s lead by scoring the first six points in the second quarter. Damian Lillard left briefly in the first quarter with a knee injury, but returned to start the second quarter and his two free throws capped the 6-0 run. Turner’s third three of the first half put Indiana ahead 46-30 with 8:14 left in the half. Milwaukee stayed the course even though they were down big. They kept chipping away and eventually made it a seven points game after another Middleton field goal. Indiana was able to outscore Milwaukee by five points the next two minutes to take a 65-52 lead with sixty-five seconds left after an Andrew Nembhard three-pointer. At halftime, Indiana led 67-55. Middleton led all scorers with 19 points followed by Turner with 15 points and Toppin with 14 points. Tyrese Haliburton was two points shy of a double-double and five rebounds shy of a triple-double.

3. Third Quarter

Traditionally, Indiana has had great third quarters, especially at home. Milwaukee would be the better team in the period because they finally got Lillard going. He doubled his scoring in the game after leading his team with nine points in the third quarter. Indiana maintained a double-digit lead for the first eight and a half minutes to start the second half. Middleton converted a three-pointer to make it a nine-point game with 3:24 remaining. Besides a twenty second stretch following that three, the game would be within team points either way. Milwaukee outscored Indiana in the third quarter 28-23. The Pacers went 7/19 from the field and 1/9 from the three-point line in the third. After thirty-six minutes, Indiana still led 90-83. All five starters for Milwaukee were in double figures with Middleton pacing all scorers with 24 points. Right behind him was Turner with 22 points, one of Indiana’s four starters in double figures.

4. Fourth Quarter

With the way the third quarter went, it just felt like there was a momentum shift towards Milwaukee. The Bucks took the crowd out of the game and were able to control the pace in the third quarter, thus taking the Pacers out of their offensive flow. Milwaukee opened the third quarter with a 12-2 run to go ahead 95-92 after a Bobby Portis layup. Lillard gave them their first lead with his fourth three-pointer of the second half on the possession prior. Pascal Siakam would put the Pacers ahead with a layup after converting both free throws the last time on the offensive end. For the final 7:24, it was a back-and-forth game. The game would be tied four times the next four minutes. With 3:33 remaining in regulation, both teams had trouble putting the ball through the cylinder until the final minute. Nembhard went one for two at the free throw line to put Indiana ahead. The Pacers got a stop and then Siakam scored a layup and drew a foul but missed the free throw. Middleton scored a floater to make a one-point game. Aaron Nesmith went to the line and made both to go up 111-108 with 6.9 seconds left. Indiana chose not to foul, and Middleton hit a miraculous shot from the hashmark to send the game to overtime. Middleton led all scorers with 35 points followed by Lillard with 28. Indiana’s leading scorers were Turner with 27 points and Siakam with 17 points. Haliburton had 15 points, 15 assists, and 7 rebounds.

5. Overtime

At some point in the fourth quarter, Lillard reaggravated his achilles injury that limited him down the stretch of the season. He was a non-factor in the overtime period. He didn’t take one shot. Middleton took five of Milwaukee’s six shots. Brook Lopez had the only other field goal attempt. With 1:03 left in overtime, the game was tied at 115. Nesmith was zero for six from downtown and then picked the perfect time to make his first. He drilled a triple with 15.1 seconds left to put the team ahead. Middleton banked in a three on the following possession to tie the game up. With 6.7 seconds left, the Pacers turned to their All-Star, and he delivered. Haliburton crossed Patrick Beverley and knocked down a free-throw line floater while being fouled by Beverley. He made the free throw, and Indiana forced Middleton to take a tough three and his magic finally ran out. Indiana fights off Milwaukee to win 121-118.

6. Top Performers

Myles Turner (29p, 9r, 4 threes), Tyrese Haliburton (18p, 16a, 10r), Pascal Siakam (17p, 9r, 4a), Andrew Nembhard (16p, 5r, 4a), Obi Toppin (15p, 6r), and Aaron Nesmith (13p, 8r, 3a, 3s). For Milwaukee, Khris Middleton (42p, 10r, 5a), Damian Lillard (28p, 8a, 3s), Bobby Portis (17p, 18r), Brook Lopez (14p, 4r, 3a), and Patrick Beverley (11p). For tonight’s full box score, click here.

7. Notes

• Indiana has won back-to-back playoff games for the first time since 2014
• Indiana picked up its first playoff overtime win since 2013
• Tyrese Haliburton’s triple-double is the fourth triple-double in playoff franchise history
  • Last one being April 27, 2018, when Victor Oladipo did it in a win over Cleveland
  • Indiana is 4-0 in all four of those games
  • 2nd triple-double of Haliburton’s career
• Tyrese Haliburton became the first Pacer player in franchise history with 10+ assists in a half in a playoff game
• Myles Turner’s 29 points and 4 threes are both playoff career highs
• Khris Middleton’s 42 points are a season and playoff career high
  • Season high was 27 points
  • 4th highest scoring game of his career
• Khris Middleton recorded his 15th playoff double-double
• Bobby Portis recorded his 10th playoff double-double

8. Next Up

After one day off, game four will take place on Sunday evening at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Pat Boylan will get things started with the Kroger Pregame Show at 6:30pm. Mark Boyle and Eddie Gill will have the play-by-play starting at 7pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan. The series schedule:

• Game 1 – Sunday, April 21st, 2024, at Fiserv Forum Arena – MIL 109 – 94
• Game 2 – Tuesday, April 23rd, 2024, at Fiserv Forum Arena – IND 125 –108
• Game 3 – Friday, April 26th, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse – IND 121 – 118
• Game 4 – Sunday, April 29th, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse – 7:00pm
• Game 5 – Tuesday, April 30th, 2024, at Fiserv Forum Arena – TBD
• Game 6 (if necessary) – Thursday, May 2nd, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse – TBD
• Game 7 (if necessary) – Saturday, May 5th, 2024, at Fiserv Forum Arena – TBD