Bucks Zone

GAME DAY PREVIEW AND INJURY REPORT: The Milwaukee Bucks start the New Year against rival Indiana Pacers

Giannis Antetokounmpo exploded for 64 points in the two teams’ last meeting.
Matthew Dugandzic|
© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

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Milwaukee Bucks

Two of the league’s top offensive teams collide as the Milwaukee Bucks clash with the Indiana Pacers on Monday night. The Bucks and the Pacers are facing each other for the fourth time this season. Indiana leads the series, 2-1, with Milwaukee winning their last meeting 140-126.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was superb in that 14-point win after he exploded for a career-high and franchise-record 64 points. That game came to a controversial ending after Giannis clashed with some Indiana players for supposedly refusing to give him the game ball.

The Bucks have just ended a four-game road trip where they went 3-1. Milwaukee is currently second in the Eastern Conference with a 24-8 record. Indiana is in seventh place with a 17-14 card.

Milwaukee is looking to pick up from where they left off in December, where it went 11-2.

On a tear

The Bucks are 9-1 in their last ten games and scored 119-111 in their previous outing, with Antetokounmpo (34 points) and Damian Lillard (31 points) combining for 65 points. Over the last ten games, Giannis has averaged 31.8 points, and Dame has accumulated 25.9 points per contest.

The Pacers have 4-6 in their last ten games. Tyrese Haliburton has been brilliant for the Pacers in their previous two games after posting 20-20 performances.

Tyrese put up 21 points and what was then a career-high 20 points when the Pacers defeated the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, 120-104.

The cat-quick point guard collected 22 points and bettered his career, high in assists when he dished off 23 dimes in leading the Pacers to a 140-126 thrashing of the New York Knicks on Saturday night.

Injury report

The Bucks will be without Thanasis Antetokounmpo (personal reasons) and Jae Crowder (left adductor surgery), while MarJon Beauchamp (illness) is listed as questionable for the Bucks.

Bruce Brown (knee) is out for the Pacers.

Giannis says they have to be ready for the next time they’ll face off against the Pacers

Published
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.