Indiana
Indiana Pacers use strong second half to take commanding 3-1 series lead over Milwaukee Bucks
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers hosted the Milwaukee Bucks for Game 4 of their first-round series on Sunday night. Entering the day, the series was 2-1 in favor of the Pacers, and they had won two straight outings. WIth both Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo out for the Bucks, it was an opportunity for Indiana to expand their series lead.
They needed to start strong. A dominant first quarter was critical in their Game 3 victory, and without two stars on the visiting side, they needed to do it again. The healthy Pacers couldn’t afford a slow first few minutes.
The Pacers scored first via a three-point shot from Andrew Nembhard, but the Bucks responded with an 8-2 run to take the lead. It wasn’t the opening minutes that the blue and gold hoped for — their offense wasn’t where it needed to be for the opening possessions.
Both teams traded baskets early in the game, and two technical fouls were called in the first five minutes — one on Pacers forward Pascal Siakam and another on Bucks guard Patrick Beverley. The crowd was tense and annoyed after Siakam was whistled for a tech, but that turned to excitement when Beverley was whistled for his. It was 12-11 in Milwaukee’s favor with 7:04 to go in the first quarter.
The game got chippy a few minutes later. Bobby Portis and Nembhard got tangled up under the Bucks basket, and Portis was hit with two hostile acts from the interaction. He shoved and slapped Nembhard, and he was ejected. Nembhard, meanwhile, was given one technical. Indiana was ahead 18-16 after the exchange.
Obi Toppin checked into the game soon after and changed the makeup of the battle. He raced ahead for some easy baskets and had six quick points. The Bucks were matching his scoring, but it was an impressive stretch from Toppin to keep his team in the game.
Milwaukee’s second unit continued to play well and found space to score. Indiana was struggling to slow them down, and they were giving up points in the paint constantly. Three-point shots were falling for Indiana, who were 7/12 from deep after one quarter, but the Bucks had 20 points in the paint. It was tied at 33 at the time.
The second quarter started with more good play from the Pacers, who jumped ahead 40-37 after a few minutes of play. Rookie guard Ben Sheppard was making shots and playing with energy, which Indiana needed. Their paint defense continued to struggle, though.
As the second quarter progressed, both groups began to trade baskets. But the Pacers were slightly better from the floor, and their starting five came in and got in gear. With 7:22 until halftime, Indiana led 49-44.
The Pacers continued to make threes, which was masking a lot of their mistakes. To the team’s credit, they were generating good looks, but their percentage was unusually high. Indiana’s starting five was finding space all over the floor, but they needed to get some stops.
Late in the half, Indiana’s lead climbed as high as six, but the Bucks answered and trimmed it again. Because the visitors were having so much success around the basket, it was difficult for the blue and gold to go on any sort of run.
Khris Middleton, who scored 42 points in Game 3, hit a shot just before the halftime buzzer. That cut the Pacers edge down to 67-64, and that’s what the score was at halftime. Indiana was 12/22 from deep at the time and had conceded 32 points in the paint. That style felt unsustainable, but the blue and gold had a halftime to adjust their approach.
To get the second half going, the Pacers came out firing. Star guard Tyrese Haliburton hit three outside shots in the first few minutes of the half, and it gave the Pacers a 10-point lead for the first time of the night. He was up to 24 points at the time, and it was 76-66 in favor of Indiana. Milwaukee needed a timeout. Haliburton was having an excellent quarter.
That stretch brought some energy into Gainbridge Fieldhouse, some needed life after the slower start to the action. The crowd was loving the double-digit advantage, but the Pacers needed to keep pushing. Their defense hadn’t been good enough all night to relax.
Halfway through the third period, the Pacers were up 81-76. The Bucks were never going to go away if the blue and gold didn’t find a way to string together stops. Brook Lopez reached 20 points for Milwaukee around that time — he was playing extremely well.
Myles Turner responded with two epic plays. He threw down the dunk of the series so far all over Lopez just after the midway point of the quarter, and with the crowd still celebrating the play, he buried a corner three. That put Indiana up by 12 at 88-76. It was their largest edge of the game to that point, and it prompted a Bucks timeout.
Their lead soon reached 17. Indiana was finally playing good defense, and their offense didn’t slow down in that stretch. It was one of their best sequences of the entire series — the Bucks needed to find answers.
After three quarters, the Pacers were ahead 98-85. Haliburton was up to 24 points for the blue and gold while Turner had 18. Indiana won the third quarter 31-21.
The fourth quarter started with a quick 7-0 run from the Bucks, and that cut the Pacers lead down to six. Pacers head coach Rick Carlise took a timeout at the time — his team needed to regroup. They were struggling.
The stoppage did wonders. The blue and gold were far better for the next few minutes and pushed their lead back to double digits. They were impressive in the second half, and that response did wonders for their confidence and energy.
It also got the crowd back into the game,a dn as the fans were chanting Myles Turner’s name, the big man hit a three that made the arena erupt. It put the Pacers up by 14 and forced a Bucks timeout. Turner was having another excellent game.
The Pacers speed had the Bucks on the back foot for much of the fourth frame. Indiana could get into the lane seemingly at will, and the consistent offense meant that Milwaukee couldn’t keep up. The hosts had the right effort and energy level.
With 3:30 to go, the Pacers were ahead 117-103. They were close to securing their third-straight win in the series, but they needed to make a few more plays down the stretch. One or two more stops and score would get it done.
They happened quickly, with the blue and gold getting a bucket and then a defensive stop in quick succession. That ballooned their lead to 16, which felt unsurmountable with just 2.5 minutes to go on the clock.
The final score was 126-113. The blue and gold took care of business at home to keep their control of the series. It was an impressive outing once again.
Haliburton finished with 24 points and four assists. Turner had 29 points and nine rebounds while Nembhard added 15 points and nine assists. The Pacers had several great performances in the victory.
Indiana now leads the series 3-1, and it shifts back to Milwaukee for Game 5 on Tuesday.
- Pascal Siakam entered the playoffs wanting to be the Indiana Pacers leader. He left Milwaukee on top of the league. CLICK HERE.
- Myles Turner has best career playoff game for Indiana Pacers as film time and maturity mesh.CLICK HERE.
- Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers delivered a moment fans waited five years to see. CLICK HERE.
- Indiana Pacers survive massive Milwaukee Bucks comeback for overtime win in Game 3. CLICK HERE.
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- Follow AllPacers on Twitter: @SIPacers
CLOVERDALE, Ind. (WKRC) – Authorities in Indiana found a semi trailer loaded up with hundreds of pounds of suspected cocaine.
According to a statement issued by the Indiana State Police (ISP), 27-year-old Harmandeep Singh of Bakersfield, California was taken into custody after nearly 400 pounds of suspected cocaine were reportedly found in the trailer of a commercial truck.
Per the statement, an ISP trooper seized the suspected cocaine during a traffic stop on Interstate 70 in Putnam County, authorities said.
The stop occurred Tuesday morning near the 37-mile marker, just east of Cloverdale, after a commercial motor vehicle was observed exceeding the posted speed limit.
Police said Singh displayed several indicators of possible criminal activity during the encounter. After obtaining consent to search the vehicle, troopers discovered multiple duffel bags and cardboard boxes in the trailer containing approximately 392 pounds (178 kilograms) of suspected cocaine.
Authorities estimated the street value of the drugs at about $9 million.
Singh was taken into custody and taken to the Putnam County Jail, where he is being held on a $30,000 cash bond.
He faces the following preliminary charges, per the post:
- Possession of a narcotic drug
Formal charges will be determined by the Putnam County prosecutor.
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Indiana State Police said drug interdiction remains a priority, with troopers focusing on major highways to disrupt the flow of illegal narcotics into the state.
For many Hoosiers living in rural Indiana, accessing health care can mean driving 30 minutes or even an hour to see a doctor or reach the nearest hospital. As workforce shortages and financial pressures challenge rural hospitals across the country, ensuring access to care close to home has become one of the most important health-care issues facing our state.
About one in four Indiana residents live in a rural community, yet access to health-care services in many of these communities continues to shrink. Across the nation, rural hospitals and clinics report extremely thin operating margins and often say workforce shortages and rising costs make it difficult to sustain services such as primary care, maternity care and behavioral health.
When rural communities struggle to maintain health-care access, the impact doesn’t stay confined to small towns. It ripples across the entire health-care system, contributing to increases in chronic conditions, reduced preventative care for children, and worsening outcomes for the sickest patients.
Communities such as Greater Lafayette serve as a regional hub for care, with hospitals like IU Health Arnett caring for patients from surrounding counties across north-central and west-central Indiana. That role is something we are proud to fulfill. But when rural residents must travel long distances for care that should be available closer to home, it places increasing pressure on emergency departments, specialty clinics and inpatient services at larger regional hospitals.
In many cases, what might have been a routine appointment, preventive screening or early diagnosis in a local clinic becomes far more serious by the time a patient reaches a larger hospital. A missed screening can escalate into a medical emergency.
That reality makes strengthening rural health care more important than ever — not just for rural communities, but for the health of the entire state.
One of the most important steps we can take is investing in the next generation of health-care professionals who will care for these communities.
At IU Health, we are working directly with local schools and community partners to help build that workforce pipeline. Across the region, IU Health has partnered with the Greater Lafayette Career Academy and area school districts to introduce students to health-care careers earlier and provide hands-on learning opportunities that bring those careers to life.
Through these programs, students explore health-care pathways and earn certifications such as certified nursing assistant, medical assistant or emergency medical technician while still in high school. Many participate in job shadowing opportunities, clinical experiences and mentorship programs, giving them valuable exposure to the field before they graduate. In fact, since the first cohort in 2023, IU Health has extended job offers to more than 70 students.
The goal is simple but powerful: help students see that meaningful careers in health care exist in their own communities and create pathways that allow them to stay and serve those communities.
For rural health care, this approach is critical. Students who train and develop personal mentorship connections locally are far more likely to remain in the region after completing their education. By helping young people build skills and connections early, we can create a sustainable workforce that strengthens health-care access in both rural communities and regional centers, including Greater Lafayette.
Since launching the $200 million Community Impact Investment Fund in 2018, IU Health has invested more than $40 million in community grants supporting workforce development, education and school-based programs that build Indiana’s health-care talent pipeline. This includes funding for the Indiana Latino Institute, which placed Latino students in health-care internships, supported career pathways, and provided medical interpreter training and college coaching to communities across the state.
Our goal is to make Indiana one of the healthiest states in the nation, and this is one way we work toward that in partnership with our communities.
But workforce development is only part of the solution.
Strengthening rural health care will also require continued collaboration between health-care providers, educators, community leaders and policymakers. Expanding telehealth access, supporting rural hospitals and investing in primary care and behavioral health services are all critical steps toward ensuring patients can receive care close to home.
Greater Lafayette will always play an important role as a regional health-care center, providing specialized care and advanced services for patients across a broad region. But the long-term health of Indiana’s health-care system depends on maintaining strong local access points for care in rural communities.
When rural clinics and hospitals can provide preventive care, manage chronic conditions and connect patients with the services they need early, the entire system works better.
Patients receive care sooner, communities stay healthier and larger hospitals can focus on the complex cases they are designed to treat.
Healthy rural communities do not just benefit the towns where they are. They strengthen Indiana’s entire health-care system by ensuring that every Hoosier — no matter where they live — has access to the care and resources they need to live healthier lives.
When rural health care succeeds, all of Indiana benefits.
Gary Henriott is a lifelong resident of Lafayette and the retired CEO and Chairman of Henriott Group. He is the chair of the IU Health West Region board of directors and the Wabash Heartland Innovation Network, and president of Lafayette’s Board of Public Works and Safety.
INDIANAPOLIS (WKRC) — An Indianapolis mother is now facing criminal charges after her 2-month-old baby died in an apparent improper co-sleeping environment, according to investigators.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by FOX 59/CBS 4, police were called to an area hospital on Sept. 19, 2024, following the death of 27-year-old Brooklyn Davis’ son. The boy had been found unresponsive in his family’s home early that morning, and Davis attempted CPR before he was rushed to the hospital.
The affidavit says the boy had been sleeping on Davis’ bed with his 6-year-old brother. Davis later showed investigators a video showing the baby sleeping chest down on the 6-year-old’s chest.
An autopsy concluded the baby’s cause of death was “sudden explained death of an infant” with an intrinsic factor, which included being “placed to sleep in a queen-sized mattress being shared with a 6-year-old sibling, along with numerous blankets and other miscellaneous items; discovered unresponsive in a prone position with his face turned to the side and partially covered with a blanket.”
A report from the Department of Child Services (DCS) indicated the boy had no known health issues and that Davis ran an FSSA-licensed day care and has “extensive training on child care and safe sleeping environments.”
Davis had been known to DCS prior to the baby’s death. The boy had been born marijuana-positive and, on July 2, 2024, Davis had reportedly signed a “Safe Sleep Safety Plan,” acknowledging she understood that the safest places for her baby to sleep were in a crib, pack-and-play or bassinet and warned that co-sleeping places the baby at risk of suffocation and sleeping areas should be kept free of blankets, pillows and other items. The plan also included a provision that Davis not use marijuana while caring for her children, but she told investigators during an interview that, the morning of her baby’s death, she had gone downstairs to smoke marijuana and left the children alone upstairs.
Davis’ two other children were removed from the home, and interviews with them revealed that co-sleeping with the infant happened often.
Investigators say they attempted to contact Davis several times after talking to her children.
“She called me on February 18, 2025, and said she didn’t do anything wrong, her baby died of SIDS,” the detective wrote in the affidavit. “Brooklyn never came in for an additional interview.”
Court records indicate the case was filed in March 2026. Davis was booked into jail on April 1 on three counts of neglect of a dependent. An initial hearing was held on April 7, and a bail review hearing is planned for Monday.
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