Tyrese Haliburton's free-throw floater with 1.6 seconds left in overtime gave the Indiana Pacers a 121–118 triumph over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 3 of their first-round NBA playoff series. The win gives Indiana a 2–1 series lead.
Khris Middleton's three-pointer from the top of the arc knotted the game at 118–118 with eight seconds left, nearly forcing a second overtime. Middleton's three-pointer over Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith tied the game at 111–111 with 2.1 seconds left in regulation, forcing overtime.
Middleton was doubtful with an ankle injury on Thursday, but he scored 42 points (4-for-9 from three) and 10 rebounds for the Bucks. Bobby Portis had 17 points and 18 rebounds for Milwaukee. The Pacers led 39–22 after the first quarter, looking to blow away the Bucks. Milwaukee cut the lead to 90–83 after three quarters. A 10–2 fourth-quarter run gave the Bucks a 95–92 lead. Indiana led 109–106 before Middleton's late heroics.
Lillard may be seriously injured. Damian Lillard scored 28 points in a loss, but his health may be an issue for the series. Doc Rivers, Bucks coach, said Lillard may have damaged his Achilles tendon after the game.
After a knee injury late in the first quarter, Lillard's availability was uncertain. He fell on his left leg after taking the ball to the hoop against Pascal Siakam. The eight-time All-Star dropped to the floor and gripped his knee in anguish.
Trainers examined him on the Bucks bench and escorted him to the locker room. Lillard had nine points on 2-for-10 shooting at halftime. After halftime, Lillard scored 17 points and looked like he would win. As Rivers noted, he wore down late and didn't play in overtime.
The Bucks entered the series without Giannis Antetokounmpo due to a calf ailment. With three of its greatest players injured, Milwaukee might lose to the No. 6 seed Pacers despite finishing third in the Eastern Conference.
Haliburton overcame bad shooting to become the hero, scoring the winning shot in Game 3 despite struggling to score before. The Pacers star earned a triple-double with 16 assists and 10 rebounds in a game-high 46 minutes while scoring 18 points on 8-for-22 shooting (1-for-11 on three-pointers).
With 29 points and nine rebounds, Myles Turner led Indiana. Siakam added 17 points and nine boards. A breakout season in his fourth NBA season, Haliburton led the Pacers to the in-season tournament championship and their first playoff appearance in four years.
However, his series has been difficult, possibly due to Lillard and Patrick Beverley. After scoring 20.1 points per game in the regular season, Halliburton scored nine in Game 1 and 12 in Game 2. The Pacers last won a postseason series in 2013-14, losing to the Miami Heat in six games in the Eastern Conference finals. Game 4 of the Bucks-Pacers series is Sunday in Indianapolis. TNT broadcasts the 7 p.m. ET game.