Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers knock out the Milwaukee Bucks.

Tyrese Haliburton believed he had disappointed the Indiana Pacers in the fourth quarter. But in reality, he was just gearing up for a clutch finish that will be remembered as one of the greatest in franchise history.

With the Pacers trailing by one in overtime, they forced two crucial turnovers in the final 29 seconds. Haliburton then blew past Giannis Antetokounmpo for a game-winning layup with just 1.3 seconds left, capping off an 8-0 run to lift Indiana to a 119-118 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, securing a 4-1 series win.

“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,” said head coach Rick Carlisle. “Ty, obviously, authored a big part of this ending. So congratulations to him.”

The Pacers will now face the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, with Game 1 set for Sunday.

Haliburton finished with 26 points and 10 assists, improving to 9-0 in home playoff games. Despite some late missed shots, including a layup in regulation, Haliburton relied on his teammates to help secure the win.

Giannis Antetokounmpo put up an incredible performance for the Bucks with 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 13 assists. Gary Trent Jr. added 33 points, hitting four of his eight 3-pointers in overtime, but two crucial turnovers in the final moments sealed Milwaukee’s fate. His full-court heave at the buzzer missed badly, and the Bucks’ playoff woes continued.

This marks the Bucks’ third consecutive first-round playoff loss, with two of them coming at the hands of the Pacers. The game ended in a tense exchange at midcourt, sparked by Haliburton’s father, John, who approached Antetokounmpo. Haliburton, meanwhile, was atop the scorer’s table, leading the celebration as the crowd erupted.

Haliburton admitted he was initially disappointed by his missed opportunities but credited his teammates for keeping his spirits up. “They said we’d get a chance to win at the end, and they would rely on me to do that,” he said. And he did.

Andrew Nembhard helped set up the thrilling finish, draining a 3-pointer to pull the Pacers within four points. He then stole an inbound pass from Trent, leading to Haliburton’s three-point play that made it 118-117. Trent’s turnover on a long pass with 10.8 seconds left set up Haliburton’s game-winning layup.

Bucks head coach Doc Rivers acknowledged the mistakes, saying, “The turnovers were huge… two of the three were really unforced.”

Myles Turner contributed 21 points and nine rebounds, while Aaron Nesmith added 19 points and 12 rebounds for Indiana.

With the Bucks missing 10-time All-Star Damian Lillard, who tore his Achilles tendon in Game 4, Rivers made adjustments to the starting lineup, inserting AJ Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and Bobby Portis Jr. Despite all five Bucks starters scoring in double figures, it wasn’t enough.

Antetokounmpo reflected on the loss, expressing frustration: “I wish I was still playing. I wish I was still competing and going back out there.”