Giannis Antetokounmpo Gives Pacers Their 13th Straight Loss

The Milwaukee Bucks completed a season sweep of the Indiana Pacers with a 134–123 victory, handing Indiana its 13th straight loss.

It marks the second 13-game losing streak for the Pacers this season, which is a franchise record.

Giannis Antetokounmpo needed just 23 minutes to dominate the game, finishing with 31 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.

Indiana kept the game competitive for roughly three quarters, but Milwaukee opened the fourth quarter with a decisive 15–3 run that ultimately put the game out of reach.

Despite the loss, there were several encouraging performances for Indiana, particularly from Aaron Nesmith -- who scored a career high 32 points, Ivica Zubac, Jarace Walker and T.J. McConnell.

Zubac Continues to Show His Impact

Zubac once again displayed several aspects of the game that made Indiana aggressive in acquiring him.

He wasn’t quite as efficient around the rim in this game, missing a few hook shots that rolled off the rim. But he consistently established strong positioning in the paint and used his leverage to move defenders off their spots, including battling effectively against Myles Turner.

Ivica Zubac punishes the rim on the slam 😤 pic.twitter.com/Vp3LIx65Nj
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) March 15, 2026

One notable moment came when Zubac pinned Antetokounmpo under the rim and finished with a dunk.

His presence in the post continues to draw significant defensive attention, often forcing double teams — and occasionally even more defenders collapsing on him when he receives the ball.

LMAO https://t.co/ntNqYaT3eV pic.twitter.com/9BFl6s7Xif
— ZubacSZN (@213Clipset) March 15, 2026

His passing ability and rebounding instincts were again evident, although the chemistry with his new teammates remains a work in progress as both sides adjust to each other’s tendencies.

One small moment that stood out occurred in the first half when Jalen Slawson was called for a questionable foul. Zubac immediately approached the officials to defend his teammate — a small but telling sign of leadership from a player still new to the roster.

Aaron Nesmith’s Fiery Night

Nesmith continued his strong play, building off his recent performance in Sacramento.

He erupted for 24 points in the first half on 7-of-11 shooting while also getting to the free-throw line five times.

By the end of the night, Nesmith finished with a career-high 32 points on an incredibly efficient 10-of-14 shooting performance.

Jalen Slawson chased him down and Aaron Nesmith cashed in with a triple 🔥

Aaron has 24 PTS (5 3PM) and there's still 7:43 left in the first half ♨ pic.twitter.com/mMGsxPLJU1
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) March 15, 2026

Interestingly, on this same date last season in Milwaukee, Nesmith scored 30 points on 11-of-16 shooting in a narrow loss.

As excitement builds around the possibility of the Pacers landing a top-four pick in the upcoming draft, it’s worth noting that replacing Nesmith in the starting lineup wouldn’t be simple.

With head coach Rick Carlisle leading a team that recently made back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances with Nesmith in the starting five, expecting a rookie to immediately replicate that role would be an enormous challenge.

Jarace Walker’s Big Third Quarter

Jarace Walker drops the hammer 🔨 pic.twitter.com/rAHdcVP6uo
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) March 15, 2026

Walker delivered his most explosive stretch of the night in the third quarter.

He scored 14 points in the period — a career high for points in a single quarter — beginning with a powerful dunk that Turner had a front-row view of and ending the quarter by hitting a left-handed three-pointer at the buzzer.

WITH THE LEFT 🤯

Jarace Walker's left-handed 3-pointer to beat the third quarter buzzer is tonight's Shot of the Game. pic.twitter.com/ZrzEh3DDgB
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) March 15, 2026

Walker finished the game with 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

While the scoring burst showed his potential, the next step will be sustaining that impact throughout the full 29 minutes he played.

Defensive Matchup Questions

One defensive decision that stood out involved Jalen Slawson being assigned to guard Antetokounmpo. With Walker available, it raised questions about why Indiana didn’t take the opportunity to test him defensively against one of the league’s tou

Given that the Pacers have already been eliminated from playoff contention, this stretch of games could serve as valuable opportunities to evaluate young players in challenging situations. Instead, Walker primarily defended Kyle Kuzma.

giannis — Mar 7, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) bring the ball up court against the Utah Jazz at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Antetokounmpo finished the first half with 18 points, 11 rebounds and five assists and ended the night with 31 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists while shooting 50% from the field.

Indiana eventually shifted Zubac onto Antetokounmpo defensively in the second half while assigning a wing defender to Turner.

McConnell Reaches Career Milestone

Steal No. 900 🙌 https://t.co/pEFauhV1WM pic.twitter.com/17fwd9R6Q0
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) March 15, 2026

McConnell recorded the 900th steal of his career after stripping Ryan Rollins during a drive and pushing the ball ahead to Nesmith.

The veteran guard also finished with a season-high 11 assists, which led directly to 28 Pacers points.

With Andrew Nembhard sidelined, McConnell stepped into the starting lineup and delivered another steady performance.

Jay Huff’s Bench Production

Off the bench, Jay Huff provided a scoring boost.

Huff finished with 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting and added two blocks, though he grabbed just one rebound in 19 minutes.