In what was arguably the most entertaining game of the 2024 NBA Playoffs thus far, the Indiana Pacers escaped with a 121-118 overtime win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. The victory gave the Pacers a 2-1 edge in the series over the banged-up Bucks, but Indiana very nearly allowed this win to slip through their fingers as they watched a 19-point 1st quarter lead slowly evaporate as the game progressed. In the end, it was a remarkably clutch and heavily contested Tyrese Haliburton floater which gave the Pacers the win with just 1.6 seconds remaining in overtime.

HALI… THE AND-1 FLOATER FOR THE LEAD 🔥

Bucks ball with 1.6 seconds remaining on ESPN pic.twitter.com/WoLS03jD61

— NBA (@NBA) April 27, 2024

For a moment, Tyrese Haliburton re-claimed his top spot as the most popular basketball player in the state of Indiana, a title that has been held by Caitlin Clark ever since she was selected 1st overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft nearly two weeks ago. And speaking of Clark, the women’s basketball sensation and her new Fever teammate Erica Wheeler were in attendance for Game 3, and they were just as hyped up as the rest of the 17,274 fans packed inside of Gainbridge Fieldhouse after Haliburton’s three-point play clinched the crucial win for the Pacers.

BOOM BABY!

Caitlin Clark and Erica Wheeler react to Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winning bucket to beat the Bucks in overtime 💥 pic.twitter.com/otKGyxtPL7

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) April 27, 2024

Caitlin Clark’s appearance at the Indiana Pacers’ playoff game is further proof of a budding resurgence of basketball in the Hoosier State, and there couldn’t be two better figureheads at the center of all of it than Clark and Tyrese Haliburton. Caitlin Clark is already a supernova megastar who has a chance to do for the WNBA what she’s already done for women’s college basketball over the last couple of years. And Haliburton is one of the most electric and unselfish players in the league who has a chance to be the most popular Indiana Pacer since Reggie Miller. A deep postseason run will allow his star to shine even brighter, but consider Caitlin Clark one of many who are already a big fan of Haliburton’s game despite the fact that the two went to rival schools in college

“It’s nice to be in the same city now, and the thing I love about him is the way he passes the ball. I watch his game and it’s just incredible what he can do. But all of them across the board. I think coach Carlisle has been tremendous for them, and it’s been a lot of fun to watch,” Clark said, per Tony East of Sports Illustrated. Carlisle himself commented on the two young starts earlier this morning, shortly after the Fever selected Clark in the WNBA Draft.

“This is a momentous 24 hour period and all the things that are going to come with it. For the city of Indianapolis, you’ve got Tyrese… you’ve got Caitlin Clark… It’s exciting times,” Carlisle said, per Tony East.