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GAME DAY AND INJURY REPORT: Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers duel for the Central Division lead

The Milwaukee Bucks look to stay atop the Central Division.
Matthew Dugandzic|
© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

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The top spot in the Central Division will be at stake when the Milwaukee Bucks battle the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Playing their second game in two nights, the Bucks are seeking a fourth straight win and their second straight victory on the road.

Milwaukee is at the number one spot in the Central Division with a 5-2 record. Indiana, which is on a two-game winning streak, is in second place with a 5-3 card.

A frenetic win versus Detroit

The Bucks are coming off a dramatic 120-118 win over the Detroit Pistons, where they had to survive the ejection of Giannis Antetokounmpo and a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit.

Giannis was tossed after incurring two technical fouls. The ejection came at the nine-minute mark of the third period after Giannis completed a rim-rattling dunk and supposedly taunted Detroit’s Isiah Stewart.

Even without Antetokounmpo in the endgame, the Bucks still found a way to win behind the endgame heroics of Damian Lillard and Brook Lopez. Lillard finished with 34 points against the Pistons, 18 of them came in the final period.

Lopez only had 14 points in the game but had a crucial three-pointer and a block in the closing seconds that keyed the Bucks’ comeback win. 

Milwaukee’s defense will be tested against the high-scoring Pacers. Indiana leads the league in offense with 124.9 points a game. 

The Pacers are coming off a 134-118 win over the Utah Jazz and a 152-111 triumph over the San Antonio Spurs. Tyrese Haliburton is having a stellar run, leading the Pacers in scoring with 24.0 points and in assists with 11.7 a game.

Injury report

Khris Middleton is listed as day-to-day. He missed Milwaukee’s game against Detroit due to right knee injury management.

Indiana has no players on the injured list. 

The Milwaukee Bucks rally past the Detroit Pistons

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.