The Pacers found themselves down by three points against the Bucks on Tuesday night. However, in a thrilling finish with mere seconds to go, Tyrese Haliburton executed a remarkable 4-point play that clinched the victory for his team. After the game, the point guard referred to the moment as “a football play.”
The former All-Star sprinted to the left sideline after receiving an inbound pass akin to a handoff. He then leapt over Giannis Antetokounmpo, sinking a three-pointer just as the refs called a foul, sending him to the free-throw line.
“It’s like a football play,” Haliburton explained after leading the Pacers to a narrow 115-114 win over Milwaukee. “It was great to see it work. The first time we ran the play in training camp two years ago, I made the shot the same way. I haven’t had the ball since then. I usually dislike running that play.”
Haliburton emphasized that stepping out of bounds never crossed his mind before he launched the shot. “I’ve practiced that shot enough to know my position on the court,” he assured. “It’s all about getting it off. I just elevated. I jumped higher than usual, and it went in.”
Remarkably, this was only the fifth instance since the 1997-98 season where a team has executed a four-point play while trailing by three points within the last 10 seconds of a game. Instead of soaking up the accolades, Haliburton credited his coach, Rick Carlisle, for his talent in designing plays.
“An incredible sequence of events,” commented Indiana’s coach, who acknowledged that assistant Jenny Boucek devised the play while assistant Mike Weinar assisted. “What a shot, especially with Reggie [Miller] in the building. Tyrese’s shot will be talked about for many years to come.”
It was hard not to think of Pacers legend Reggie Miller during the clutch moment, as the Hall of Famer spent his entire career in Indiana. “There are definitely a lot of Reggie moments in this arena,” Haliburton noted. “I’m just trying to create my own.”
