The Indiana Pacers continue to show why they are the best offense in the NBA at the moment with a 128-119 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night to progress to the final of the In-Season Tournament.
The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was bouncing with a playoff-type atmosphere as two of the competition’s unbeaten sides produced a stunning show with a ticket to the championship game on the line.
The Pacers, the seventh-youngest team in the NBA, were led by their 23-year-old All-Star guard, Tyrese Haliburton, who finished the game with 27 points, 7 rebounds, 15 assists and zero turnovers, including hitting a dagger step-back 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter to extend Indiana’s lead.
WE’RE MOVING ON.#PacersWin pic.twitter.com/1VfsuPiOmZ
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 8, 2023
Myles Turner had 26 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks; Bruce Brown ended with 10 points; Isaiah Jackson managed 11 points and six boards; and Obi Toppin tallied 14 points and six rebounds, including getting the fans on their feet with two highflying dunks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo poured in a game-high 37 points along with 10 rebounds and two blocks in a losing effort for the Bucks as they fell to 15-7 for the season, dropping their first game of the In-Season Tournament and getting eliminated from the competition.
Damian Lillard scored 24 points, grabbed 7 boards, and dropped seven dimes along with four 3s; Khris Middleton tallied four 3s of his own to finish the game with 20 points and seven assists; and Brook Lopez got 18 points, six rebounds, and three blocks.
The @Pacers ADVANCE to the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament Championship! pic.twitter.com/CXVnOzxjFL
— NBA (@NBA) December 8, 2023
Indiana remains unbeaten in the tournament, and they have overcome some of the biggest Eastern Conference teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics, whom they beat in the quarterfinals.
They will face the winner of the West semifinal matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans in Las Vegas on Saturday night for a chance to win the inaugural NBA Cup.
