Pacers beat Bucks, advance to In-Season Tournament final against Lakers

The Indiana Pacers are playing for a championship — a brand-new December trophy, sure, but a championship nonetheless.

Driving the news: Indiana slayed another one of the NBA's best teams, beating the Milwaukee Bucks, 128-119, Thursday in Las Vegas.

Why it matters: The Pacers advanced to the NBA In-Season Tournament final.

State of play: The Pacers (12-8) played one of their most resilient games yet.

• They led 63-51 at halftime, but the Bucks (15-7) went on an 11-point run midway through the third quarter, taking the lead — and momentum.
• Indiana kept it close and Tyrese Haliburton shined late, making an acrobatic layup and then hitting a dagger of a 3-pointer that gave the Pacers a 122-114 lead with 48 seconds left.

By the numbers: Haliburton had 27 points and 15 assists and Myles Turner had 26 points and 10 rebounds.

• Haliburton has zero turnovers in the last two games.

What they're saying: "They tell me we're not supposed to be here. I guess they're not right," Haliburton said after the game.

What's next: The Pacers play the Los Angeles Lakers at 8:30pm Saturday in Las Vegas.