Up 3-1, the Pacers looked to close out the Bucks in front of their hometown fans. Without their All-Star point guard, Damian Lillard, Milwaukee would need a big performance from someone other than Giannis Antetokounmpo. Gary Trent Jr. did his best, but Indy’s resilient offense bested the Bucks by one.
In a win-or-go-home game, Milwaukee came out with all cylinders firing. The Pacers were caught on their heels, missing their first four field goals. Down 13-0 was the resulting deficit, finally remedied by a Myles Turner three.
Poor shooting continued throughout the quarter. No rhythm was to be found in the Indy offense, leaving them behind by 17 points at the end of the first, 30-13. Not the way a team wants to start a closeout game on home court.
The script was flipped in the second quarter as the Pacers began to sink shots and the Bucks struggled to keep momentum. Although the Blue and Gold were able to cut Milwaukee’s lead to six at halftime, a slow start threatened to send Indy to Game 6 in Milwaukee.
Indy came out to start the third quarter strong, going on an 11-4 run. Andrew Nembhard hit a long step-back three to cap off this stretch, giving them their first lead of the game. After this initial lead change, six more would follow along with the score being tied six times as well.
Entering the fourth, the score tied at 75, neither team could pull away to ensure victory. The largest lead of this quarter was five by the Bucks, with three more score ties and lead changes. With under a minute left, the Pacers trailed by four points.
Antetokounmpo misses a free throw that Aaron Nesmith rebounded. This leads to Haliburton getting fouled and making both free throws. Now down only two, 103-101, Bucks ball. Kevin Porter Jr. proceeds to miss a step-back jumper, opening the door for the Pacers.
With 16 seconds left, Haliburton drives past Trent Jr., securing a tie game with a dunk. Milwaukee now has time to respond with 11 seconds on the clock. The ball is given to none other than Antetokounmpo. He proceeds to drive left, spinning away from a double team and into a fadeaway jumper that misses long.
In OT, Trent Jr. caught fire for the Bucks, looking to put the Pacers away for good. The sharpshooter scored 12 of Milwaukee’s 15 overtime points, hitting four straight threes. This streak brought his total to 33 points on the night, shooting 8/17 from beyond the arc. As much as Trent Jr. contributed to the Bucks success, he would just as quickly contribute to their defeat.
With 40 seconds left to play, the Pacers are down 118-111, seemingly no way to victory. Off an AJ Green missed free throw, Nembhard hits a quick three from deep. The lead shrinks to four. Indy proceeds to trap Trent Jr. on the inbounds pass, forcing him to make a bad pass. Nembhard intercepts, leading to a Haliburton and-one.
The Pacers’ star point guard completes the three-point play, cutting the lead to one with 17 seconds left. Indy keeps up the pressure, guarding full court. The Bucks get it across halfcourt, but Trent Jr. fumbles a pass out of bounds. Two costly turnovers for the Bucks guard, back to back.
11 seconds left on the clock, Haliburton brings the ball up the court. A ball screen switches Antetokounmpo to be the main defender. Without hesitation, Haliburton crosses to his right hand and drives to the bucket for a clean finish to give the Pacers the lead 119-118. The Bucks try and respond with a full-court heave, but miss conceding the series 4-1 to Indy.
The way Indy started the game made it seem like they were ready to play a Game 6. A change of attitude in the second quarter gave the Pacers a fighting chance. It was clear the Bucks were not going to go down easily. Trent Jr. did his best to put Indy away with his 33 points, but his two turnovers in OT would cost the Bucks the win. The Blue and Gold going on an 8-0 run in the final 40 seconds was a wild way to close out the first round.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
