INDIANAPOLIS (AP) 鈥� Tyrese Haliburton described it as 鈥渁 football play鈥� 鈥� and he converted the extra point, too.
With the Indiana Pacers needing a 3-pointer to tie the Milwaukee Bucks in the closing seconds Tuesday night, a streaking Haliburton took a handoff-style inbound pass along the left sideline, elevated over Giannis Antetokounmpo while fading out of bounds, and while being fouled.
Haliburton for a stunning four-point play with 3.4 seconds left, and the Pacers held on for over the Bucks when Antetokounmpo missed a 3 at the buzzer.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like a football play,鈥� Haliburton said, noting that his teammates ran crossing routes. 鈥淚t was great to see it work. The first time we ever ran the play in training camp two years ago, I made the shot the same way. I haven鈥檛 got the ball since. I usually hate running the play.鈥�
Haliburton said he wasn鈥檛 worried about stepping out of bounds.
鈥淚鈥檝e shot that shot enough to know where I am on the court,鈥� Haliburton said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a matter of getting it off. Just rose up. I jumped higher than I normally do. It just went in.鈥�
Haliburton said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle and his staff are great at drawing up plays. Carlisle said assistant Jenny Boucek created the play and assistant Mike Weinar made some tweaks.
鈥淎n amazing sequence of events,鈥� Carlisle said. 鈥淲hat a play and Reggie (Miller) was in the building. They鈥檒l be talking about Tyrese鈥檚 shot for a lot of years.鈥�
Miller, who played his entire Hall of Fame career for the Pacers, was working as a commentator for TNT.
鈥淭here鈥檚 definitely a lot of Reggie moments in this building,鈥� Haliburton said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to make my own.鈥�
Haliburton had missed the previous three games with a hip injury 鈥� all Pacers losses. He was healthy enough to help Indiana draw even with fourth-place Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference standings, finishing with 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting and 10 assists.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the stuff you dream of,鈥� Haliburton said. 鈥淚鈥檓 thankful my teammates trusted me. Down the stretch I made some boneheaded plays. I missed a 3-pointer over Brook (Lopez) and I traveled 鈥� suspect traveling call.鈥�
Pascal Siakam, who led the Pacers with 25 points and 12 rebounds, was amazed by his teammate.
鈥淛ust impossible angle, over Giannis,鈥� Siakam said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think he can even see over him.鈥�
___
AP NBA:
Mark Ambrogi, The Associated Press
