In a shocking loss, the Indiana Pacers defeated the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks 128-119 in the NBA Inseason Tournament semifinals on Thursday night.
Tyrese Haliburton was the star of the show for the Pacers, scoring 27 points and dishing out 15 assists to earn MVP honors. He also made headlines when he used Damian Lillard’s signature “Dame Time” celebration at the end of the game.
With the Pacers leading by just eight points with less than a minute left in the game, Haliburton hit a step-back three-pointer to extend the lead. The 23-year-old guard then turned to his teammates and performed Lillard’s signature watch-checking celebration.
Lillard, who finished with 24 points on 7-of-20 shooting, was unfazed by Haliburton’s celebration.
“I’ve done that celebration in similar situations before,” Lillard told reporters. “So I don’t have a problem with other people doing it. I think it’s also a sign of respect and recognition because everyone knows my style. I don’t care about that, so Stop” .
“We shook hands after the match and I had no problem with his celebration.”
The Pacers are the lowest-seeded team in the semifinals, while the Bucks are the top seed and favorites to win the tournament. But the Pacers continued their Cinderella run by taking down the Bucks to advance to the championship game.
They will face the Los Angeles Lakers, who defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 133-89 in the other semifinal.
