In another chippy game, the Milwaukee Bucks’ comeback attempt fell short against the Indiana Pacers, 123-115. They’re now down 2-0 in the series. Giannis Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 34 points, while also reeling in 18 rebounds, and seven assists.
Game Recap
It was about as ugly as a start as possible for the Bucks, with Kyle Kuzma missing two simple lay-ups and Indiana answering with threes on the other end. Milwaukee would trot out a zone defense to try and frustrate Indiana, but their hot shooting was found again. The Pacers’ offense spent a flurry of possessions picking on Dame — and succeeding. Indiana began 11/14 from the floor, forcing the Bucks to recalibrate. At quarter’s end, the Pacers shot a blazing 59.1% from the floor, including 6/10 from the perimeter. It resulted in them carrying a 40-30 lead going into the second.
Milwaukee withstood the punches Indiana was throwing throughout the second quarter and eventually, they sliced the deficit to single digits following three Damian Lillard free throws on a 3PA. A Brook Lopez three then cut things to just six points. Lopez’s interior rim protection translated into offensive opportunities on the other end. In the first half, he had four blocks. After all the chaos throughout the first half, Milwaukee was able to sit just eight points behind Indiana, 68-60.
Just two and a half minutes in, the Pacers expanded their lead back up to a healthy double-digit lead, 78-62. They began the second half on a 14-2 run. Outside of a few players, the Bucks just seemed to be sleepwalking through the motions. Milwaukee could never kick their offense into a higher gear and always seemed to find themselves down double-digits. A Kevin Porter Jr. three at the horn sent the action into the fourth quarter with the Bucks down 99-87.
The fourth quarter featured Giannis in attack mode and getting to the line. However, despite his increased intensity, the Bucks’ defense were simply unable to get the stops they needed. A Bobby Portis 3-pointer got the deficit to just eight points at 4:10 left. Things eventually snowballed into a 13-0 run for the Bucks, slicing the deficit to two. However, the Pacers continued to always have an answer. A Pascal Siakam three was followed by another one by Andrew Nembhard, giving Indiana a 121-113 lead with 44.6 seconds left. They’d eventually close the door and take away a 123-115 win.
Stat That Stood Out
Kevin Porter Jr. was just lost out there tonight. After a stellar finish to the regular season, he simply was unable to get anything going. From poor shot selection to turning the ball over, he was a liability for the Bucks all night long. Then, for the cherry on the top, KPJ grabbed the ankle of Thomas Bryant, resulting in a flagrant foul and a transition take foul. Given his struggles, it was interesting that Ryan Rollins was never given much of an opportunity by Doc. It seemed as if his intensity could’ve truly helped out Milwaukee in this one.
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