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The Milwaukee Bucks stumble in the second half, bow to the Indiana Pacers

The Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Indiana Pacers for the first time this season.
Matthew Dugandzic|
The Milwaukee Bucks stumble in the second half, bow to the Indiana Pacers
The Milwaukee Bucks stumble in the second half, bow to the Indiana Pacers

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The Milwaukee Bucks got off to a strong start but tapered off in the second half to yield a 139-123 defeat to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night.

Strong start

The loss ended Milwaukee’s two-game win streak as the Bucks stumbled after posting leads of as many as 16 early in the game.

If it’s any consolation, the loss did minor damage for the 50-20 Bucks as they remained at the number one spot in the Eastern Conference team standings with a two-game lead over the 48-22 Boston Celtics.

It was only Milwaukee’s seventh loss at home this season. The Bucks had already booked a playoff ticket, the first team to do so in the season.

Milwaukee started like a house on fire and quickly raced to a 21-8 lead. The Bucks went on to lead by nine at the half, 64-55 before things fell apart for them in the second half.

Second-half collapse

Milwaukee’s defense was nowhere to be found in the third, surrendering a whopping 49 points to hand the Pacers the lead, 104-101, heading into the final stanza.

Indiana did not let up in the fourth, ultimately taking control of the game as a three-pointer by Aaron Nesmith made it 122-111 in the final seven minutes of the contest.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 25 points, while Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton added 19 and 16 points, respectively.

Andrew Nembhard paced the Pacers (32-38) with 24 points, while Nesmith sank six 3-pointers to contribute 22 points.

It was Indiana’s first win in three meetings with Milwaukee this season. The two squads will meet again on March 29th in Indianapolis. 

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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.