Pacers advance over Bucks to championship game of tournament - ESPN

LAS VEGAS — As Tyrese Haliburton watched his step-back 3-pointer fall through the net, giving the Indiana Pacers what would become an insurmountable lead over the Milwaukee Bucks inside the final minute of the Eastern Conference semifinal in the NBA's in-season tournament, he turned and stared at his wrist.

The implication was obvious: The closing moments of the game, which usually are reserved for «Dame Time» when Damian Lillard is involved, had become Haliburton's time to shine this Thursday afternoon at T-Mobile Arena.

There were still 48 seconds on the clock as Haliburton celebrated, but they were a mere formality. By the time they ticked off, Indiana had emerged with a 128-119 victory over Milwaukee, moving the Pacers into the tournament's championship game against either the Los Angeles Lakers or New Orleans Pelicans.

Much like Indiana did Monday, when it upset the Boston Celtics, the Pacers closed this game out in the final minutes. A 9-2 run from the 2:40 mark of the fourth quarter, when Lillard hit a pair of free throws to pull the Bucks within one, and Haliburton's 3 sealed the win for the Pacers.

Indiana has made this tournament a priority going back to the start of the season, looking at it as an opportunity to put the small-market Pacers on the map — and, for Haliburton, who finished with 27 points, 7 rebounds and 15 assists, a chance to become a household name after making his first All-Star appearance last season and playing for Team USA this summer.

And, after upsetting the Philadelphia 76ers on their way to winning their group in pool play and then shocking the heavily favored Celtics at home to make it to Las Vegas, the Pacers found themselves in another battle against a big favorite Thursday.

Because