If the NBA season ended today, the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers would face-off in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. If Tuesday night’s appetizer was any indication, basketball fans would be in for an amazing series if it happens.
The Pacers stunned the Bucks, 114-113, in the Central Division showdown. There’s so much recent history between these two teams, and this game added another memorable chapter.
The teams traded the lead back and forth in the fourth quarter. Milwaukee took the lead with just over a minute left on an amazing pass from Giannis Antetokounmpo to teammate Gary Trent Jr. for a corner three. The Bucks held the lead into the final seconds until the Pacers called timeout and drew up a play on their final possession.
The timeout advanced the ball to center court, but Pacers still lined up near the opposite three-point line. Indiana looked liked they were in a shotgun formation with four wide receivers, and they ran a brilliant play to spring Tyrese Haliburton free. All Haliburton did was catch the ball in the corner and drain a three-pointer while getting fouled. He made the free throw for the game-winning four-point play.
You won’t see many better game-winners in the NBA this season. Watch the play here:
I’ve played enough Madden in my day to know that’s Four Verts. My football writing colleague JP Acosta said it’s actually Shallow Sting. Either way, that’s an incredible play by Indiana to win a game over a rival in an impossible situation.
Old friend of the program Caitlin Cooper covers the Pacers better than anyone at Basketball, She Wrote. Of course, Cooper is all over this play. Cooper interviewed Pacers assistant coach Jenny Boucek over the summer, and she broke down the exact play Indiana used to win the game. Watch Cooper’s interview clip here:
March might be the doldrums of pro basketball, but moments like this remind us that the NBA Playoffs are going to be incredible. We need a Pacers-Bucks series.
