Indiana Pacers winning streak ends as Giannis Antetokounmpo scores 64 points in Milwaukee Bucks victory
The Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks battled for the third time of the 2023-24 season on Wednesday night. The two teams met last week in the In-Season Tournament Semifinals as the Pacers beat the Bucks by nine.
Tonight was going to be different though. Milwaukee had revenge on their minds, and they were the home team this time around. Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo are a tough duo to beat three times in a row.
Indiana was there to try, though, and their pace has been difficult for Milwaukee all season. If they ran hard and got into their sets early, they would have a chance in star guard Tyrese Haliburton's home state.
Across the first three-and-a-half minutes, the Pacers were the better squad. They led 9-4 early and were getting solid contributions from everybody. That's what it was going to take all night for them to win.
A few moments later, Haliburton hit a three to extend his team's lead to 14-6. That preceded a Bucks timeout — the blue and gold were too much for the hosts early.
Antetokounmpo got going in response, which cut the lead down to four, but the former MVP committed a technical foul on Haliburton soon after via a physical elbow. It was a strange play, but everybody was okay as Indiana got a free point. Antetokounmpo apologized on the floor.
The Pacers led by four with five minutes to go in the first period. They got off to a strong start against the 16-7 Bucks.
The blue and gold kept rolling as the quarter continued. They were scoring with ease and getting enough stops to stay in the lead, a winning formula. Indiana's second unit was playing well and looked connected.
It was clear that this game had more intensity than the typical regular season game. Both teams were playing with physicality and energy. That environment slowed the action down, but the Pacers were still able to play with some pace.
The bruising style helped Milwaukee surge a bit, though, and they were able to take the lead with about two minutes to go in the first quarter. Their talent is impossible to hold off all night.
At the end of the first frame, the Bucks were ahead 36-33. Antetokounmpo had 13 points while the Pacers were guided by Myles Turner, who had seven.
The second period started with strong play from Pacers reserve point guard T.J. McConnell, and that helped Indiana tie the game once again. He has been excellent for the Pacers of late.
The Bucks responded with a run as Indiana's offense stalled. The blue and gold were shooting below 40% from the field with the second quarter halfway over, and Milwaukee was able to take advantage. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle took a timeout when his team went down by seven.
Milwaukee took a 10-point lead with about four minutes to go in the half, and despite a quick Pacers response, they were able to keep their lead near that level for a few minutes. They were defending well around the rim while the Pacers were missing from deep.
Indiana was able to close the half strong, going on a 5-0 run in the final 36 seconds of the second quarter. That cut the lead down to seven at 70-63, which was the score at the break after a Buddy Hield buzzer beater. Haliburton had 19 points and six assists at halftime.
The second half opened with excellent play by the Pacers, who scored on five of their first six possessions to cut the Bucks lead down to one. Turner had seven of the points in that stretch.
The Bucks responded, though, and went ahead by eight with just under seven minutes to go in the third frame. Antetkounmpo had 30 points at that stage. He's such a tough cover for anyone on the Pacers.
Their run continued as the third frame progressed, and Milwaukee got their lead back into double figures. The Pacers quick start to the half had already been erased. They were being overpowered.
While the Bucks weren't able to totally put the Pacers away in the third period, they were able to maintain a significant advantage down the stretch of the frame. But in the closing moments, Indiana went on an 8-0 run to cut the lead down to eight. Their bench group was playing well again.
With two centers on the floor, the Pacers had made it a game. That stretch cut the lead down to seven at 101-94. Haliburton and Turner were both at 20+ points at the time.
The final period began with the Pacers getting the Bucks lead down to five. They were resilient despite trailing for most of the second half. That mentality was going to be needed down the stretch if they were going to win.
With 10:18 to go in the quarter, Aaron Nesmith fouled Antetokounmpo hard, and Bucks forward Bobby Portis took offense to the contact. Nesmith grabbed Antetokounmpo in an attempt to stop a layup.
That led to a scuffle with multiple players involved. In the end, Nesmith was called for a flagrant foul and a technical foul while Portis was also called for a tech. It gave the Bucks two free throws and possession of the ball.
Milwaukee turned that into five points and extended their lead to 13. It was a huge moment in the game and halted Indiana's momentum.
Less than two minutes later, Portis started to get into it with Pacers forward Obi Toppin and was ejected from the game. He finished with 19 points and was great for Milwaukee.
The ejection didn't help Indiana immediately. They were still staring at a 14-point deficit with seven minutes to go in the game. If they didn't up their level down the stretch, they were going to lose.
Instead, it was the Bucks who raised their play. With six minutes to go in the game, Carlisle turned to his third unit with Jarace Walker, Jordan Nwora, Ben Sheppard, and Oscar Tshiebwe entering the game. It was Tshiebwe's first minutes in a regular season game.
The Bucks kept their starters in for a few more minutes and extended their lead over 20 points. Their talent advantage made things easy down the stretch. Indiana's reserves made an impressive run and cut the lead down, but it wasn't enough.
In the end, Milwaukee held on for a 140-126 win. The Pacers four-game winning streak came to an end, and they fell to 13-9.
Haliburton finished with 22 points and seven assists, a down statistical night for him. Turner had 22 points and nine rebounds. No other Pacers player reached 15 points. Antetokounmpo finished with 64 points.
Indiana hits the court again on Friday when they take on the Washington Wizards on the road.
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- Indiana Pacers In-Season Tournament Finals loss to Los Angeles Lakers showed their need for size. CLICK HERE.
- Indiana Pacers recover from In-Season Tournament defeat and beat Detroit Pistons on the road. CLICK HERE.
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