There’s nothing better than Playoff Basketball at the Fieldhouse
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — Did you miss that Playoff drama?
The Indiana Pacers hosted a playoff game for the first time in five years on Friday night, and the Indiana crowd was instantly reminded of the anxiety and thrill that a big game can bring.
Despite losing the second, third, and fourth quarters, and despite Khris Middleton dropping 42 points and wild game-tying 3’s, the Pacers found a way to survive and win Game 3 in Overtime, by a final score of 121-118.
The Pacers were off and running in the 1st Quarter. The longest tenured Pacer Myles Turner hit a three to open the scoring, and gave a nice little “we back” kind of look to the crowd after he made it. The Pacers led 39-22 after the first quarter, and led by as many as 19 points.
Milwaukee, however, would not go as quietly as their Game 2 home crowd.
Slowly but surely, the experienced Bucks found their way back in the game, even taking a fourth quarter lead. Indiana weathered the storm to take a 3-point lead on multiple occasions, before Middleton’s heroics:
Not just once, but twice. Middleton snatched victory away from the Pacers, or so it seemed.
And then, Haliburton happened:
Despite a poor shooting night from three for Haliburton, the Pacers star put together a triple-double and the game’s biggest play. He’s waited his whole career for these games and this moment, and he delivered.
“At the end of the day, it’s just normal hoops,” Haliburton said of his first playoff games. “But something I’ve learned is the value of every possession. I think what’s important is that we don’t get too high. We only have two wins. We’ve still gotta get two more.”
His teammate Myles Turner was also keeping the same focus, saying: “We’re excited about the win, but we also just went to overtime. We’ll celebrate tonight, but we’re literally back to work tomorrow.”
Turner led the Pacers with 29 points and nine rebounds, while playing 41 minutes. It’s great to see the big man rewarded for sticking it out in the city that drafted him.
“That was unreal,” Turner said of the home crowd. “It was everything I hoped for. I would say it was worth the five-year wait. Wish we were here sooner. It’s only gonna get crazier from here.”
The stage is set for Game 4 on Sunday night, as the Pacers look to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Friday was a great night, and it had been too long.
Let’s go do it again.
