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Two former Milwaukee Bucks give the Indiana Pacers a big boost in upset win

Two ex-Milwaukee Bucks gave their former team some headaches.
Matthew Dugandzic|
Two former Milwaukee Bucks give the Indiana Pacers a big boost in upset win
Two former Milwaukee Bucks give the Indiana Pacers a big boost in upset win

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Milwaukee BucksIndiana Pacers

For the first time ever, the Indiana Pacers finally won on the home ground of the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night when they came away with a come-from-behind 139-123 victory.

"This was our franchise's first-ever win in this building, so to have an opportunity to break through with some of our younger players was special. It was a great win," Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said.

Revenge game

The Pacers humbled the Bucks at the Fiserv Forum behind a balanced attack, and among those who figured prominently are two very familiar faces.

Former Bucks Jordan Nwora and George Hill balled out in their return to Milwaukee as they were two of the eight Pacers who scored in double figures.

Nwora started the game and tallied 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block.

Hill was equally productive as he came off the bench to finish with 15 points, two boards, two assists, one steal, and a block in just 23 minutes of play.

Nwora was the Bucks' 45th pick in the 2020 Draft, while Hill played a total of four seasons with the Bucks.

Can't win them all

They were shipped to the Pacers during the trade deadline in a multi-team deal that brought Jae Crowder to the Bucks. But in the end the veteran forward didn't play in the match that saw the Bucks squander an early 18-point lead.

"They played well tonight, particularly in the second half," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "They made a lot of 3s, got out in transition. There were a lot of areas where we needed to be better, but a ton of credit to the Pacers tonight."

Despite the loss, the 50-20 Bucks, who are the first team to clinch a playoff berth this season, stayed at the number one spot in the Eastern Conference team standings.

Indiana outscored Milwaukee in the second half, 89-54, sealing its first win against the Bucks this season which became more meaningful after it came right at the Bucks' home floor.

The Pacers certainly had to thank the two former Bucks for the memorable win. 

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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.