Giannis Antetokounmpo buzzer-beater lifts the Milwaukee Bucks over the Indiana Pacers
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Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks celebrating after hitting a shot at the buzzer to beat the Indiana Pacers 117-115 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Nov 3, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
PHOTO: AFP
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NEW YORK – Giannis Antetokounmpo capped his game-high 33-point performance on Nov 3 with a buzzer-beating, turnaround fadeaway to lift the Milwaukee Bucks past the Indiana Pacers 117-115 in Indianapolis.
Backing down Aaron Nesmith in the closing seconds, Antetokounmpo pivoted at the left elbow just as a double-team from Isaiah Jackson came from the corner.
Jackson leapt to block Antetokounmpo’s shot attempt, but the high-arching jumper was just out of his reach as it floated to the rim and in, extending Indiana’s early-season woes.
“You can live if you miss. You cannot live if you don’t shoot it,” said Antetokounmpo. “People don’t remember the time you miss, they remember all the times you make, so I’m happy about that.”
The home-court loss dropped the reigning Eastern Conference champions Pacers to 1-6 for the season, and Indiana’s fourth loss of six points or fewer.
The Pacers trailed most of the night, but stayed within striking distance thanks to forcing 18 Milwaukee turnovers and the Bucks’ dreadful 13-of-22 shooting at the free-throw line.
A missed foul shot gave the Pacers a chance to force overtime, as A.J. Green missed the front end of two attempts, with Milwaukee trying to protect a one-point lead.
He made the second, but Indiana knotted the score at 115-115 on the ensuing possession when Nesmith made his way through the Bucks defence for a lay-up with 15 seconds left.
Nesmith finished with 17 points as one of four Indiana starters to score in double figures. Pascal Siakam had 32 points to lead the Pacers, Jackson posted a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Jarace Walker added 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Milwaukee countered with Antetokounmpo’s big night, which included 13 rebounds for his fifth double-double in six games. His 33 points also marked his fifth game of at least 30 points this season.
Complementing him were Kyle Kuzma with 15 points off the bench, Cole Anthony with another 11 points on reserve duty, Gary Trent Jr with 11 points and Green with 13.
Former Pacer Myles Turner had a muted scoring performance, but came up clutch against his old team with a putback to break a 109-109 tie late and an assist to Trent for a three-pointer on the next possession.
Turner also blocked a Ben Sheppard three-point attempt in the final two minutes to cap a nine-point, seven-rebound and five-block night.
On being booed when Indiana played a tribute video for him before the start of the game, Turner told ESPN: “It was disheartening, man. It was frustrating.
“You give 10 years of your life, your blood, your sweat, your tears. You take pay cuts. You survive trade rumours. You try to do everything the right way, and then sometimes stuff shakes out.”
In other key games, the New York Knicks beat the Washington Wizards 119-102, the Houston Rockets trumped the Dallas Mavericks 110-102 and the Denver Nuggets saw off the Sacramento Kings 130-124.
REUTERS
