The end of last night’s Bucks versus Pacers game was entertaining, and good and fun. There were not a lot of games on last night — four to be exact. If you had NBA League Pass, you were probably tuning in to the last few minutes to see what was going to happen.
What happened was the most overrated/underrated player in the NBA ever and also never ever, Tyrese Haliburton, taking a sprinting inbounds pass on the left side of the floor, doing his best to find balance, and putting up an incredible (I mean lucky (I mean awesome (I mean… what? I don’t know what I’m supposed to think anymore))) 3-point shot that swishes real smooth.
This shot tied the game at 114. That’s just tough to watch if you’re a Bucks fan. Unfortunately, Tyrese was also fouled on the attempt. He went to the line with the chance to take a lead after his spectacular (or other adjective, pick your own) shot actually went in.
That’s when the bad began. Doc Rivers made some decisions. You can watch here the sequence here:
The first problem starts here:
Asked Doc Rivers about the decision to challenge the late on the Haliburton 3 and he said the reasoning behind why they did is his staff believed that Tyrese Haliburton stepped out of bounds.
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) March 12, 2025
That is fair, I suppose? It says something for a coach to trust what their players say or to use a challenge in a very critical moment. Information is imperfect in the moment, and you have to do what you think is right. Again, I suppose.
The issue here is that by using a challenge, their last timeout is at risk of evaporating as well. If Haliburton makes the shot, there’s no way to advance the ball to set up a half-court play. It’s challenge or nothing.
For the Bucks, they got nothing.
The second problem comes from how the Bucks managed the inbounds after the Pacers took the lead on the free throw. I’m sorry, but you have to get it to Damian Lillard in this situation. I know Giannis is your best player, but what he is the best at and what he’d be asked to do do not match up. It’s great that Giannis got the look he got, but he is not the one best built to make it.
And sure, if Giannis makes that shot, maybe all of this would be moot. But he didn’t.
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So, are you just trying to make me, a Bucks fan, unhappy? Is that the goal here?
I think so, unfortunately.
The Bucks and Pacers are now level in the standings at 36-28, fighting for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Were the Bucks to win this game, they would not only have the extra win in the standings, but they would also have the tiebreaker with the Pacers locked up. Now, when they play again on March 15 back in Milwaukee, that tiebreaker could still be up for grabs.
That’s a lot to go wrong in a short period of time on the basis of two Doc Rivers' decisions. These Pacers and Bucks games are a blast to watch for people who are not beholden to a certain team. But if you’re in it, then, man, you’re in it.
There’s a rematch in three days. Maybe everything will change again.