“Pacers Upset Bucks: Home Streak Snapped in Thriller”
On Monday night, the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers squared off to begin 2024 for both clubs. The two teams had not faced each other since their altercation following a game in Milwaukee last month. The contest between the two teams was starting to take on an emotional dimension.
At Fiserv Forum on Monday night, the Indiana Pacers pulled off a 122-113 comeback victory to snap the Milwaukee Bucks’ 15-game home winning streak. The team last suffered a home loss to the Atlanta Hawks on October 29. This was an arena record streak for them.
This season, the Bucks and Pacers have already met three times; they will play again on Wednesday. Five games in less than two months will inevitably result in increased intensity. Starting off strong was going to be important for both teams.
Pacers Overcome Double 15-Point Deficits:
After overturning two different 15-point deficits, the second of which occurred in the third quarter, the Pacers won their fourth game in a row. Driven by its second unit, Indiana (18–14) outscored the Bucks’ 70–16, with double-figure scoring from Ben Mathurin (25), Isaiah Jackson (18), T.J. McConnell (16), and Obi Toppin (11).
For the seventh time this season, McConnell scored in double figures, and his nine assists tied for the second-highest amount he’s ever had in a game.
Milwaukee was the team that dominated the first part of the game. Indiana’s first possession of the ball was 2/10 as the Bucks jumped ahead 14-4. In less than four minutes, Jalen Smith was 1/5 for the blue and gold, and the team wasn’t producing high-quality shots overall.
After his team was behind by ten points at 6:58 in the first quarter, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle called a timeout. After a messy beginning, they had to start over.
Bucks forward Khris Middleton said, “T.J. did a great job of getting into his spots and orchestrating the offense.” He’s been using that bench unit for a while now. Reaching his locations and involving the other guys. The primary issue is that during that fourth quarter, we were unable to get Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. out of the paint.
The Bucks led by seven at the end of the quarter. The Pacers second unit benefited from significant minutes from T.J. McConnell and Benedict Mathurin, who helped cut into the Milwaukee lead.
Isaiah Jackson finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Bennedict Mathurin added 25 points and a career-high 13 rebounds for Indiana. T.J. McConnell, another reserve, ended with 16 points and 9 assists.
Myles Turner scored 13 points, Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith combined for 11 points on 4 of 20 shots, and Haliburton was the only Indiana starter to have a significant impact.
With a triple-double of his own, 26 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds, Haliburton helped Indiana overcome Giannis Antetokounmpo. In bench points, the Pacers outscored the Bucks 70–16.
On a night when they only made 5 of 35 3-pointers, they contributed to the Pacers’ victory.
“Bucks Reserve Players Stand Out as Pacers’ Second Unit Takes Center Stage: Insights from a Bucks Coach”
When describing Indiana’s second unit, Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin said, “They were excellent.” Their bench really helped them out a lot. We may have had a few leads there. We took the lead a few times while our starters were in the game, but when some of them left the game, we were unable to maintain it. Give them due credit. They produced plays. We had some really nice looks tonight, in my opinion, too; they just didn’t fall. We played like three excellent quarters, in my opinion.
In contrast, Damian Lillard only shot 3-for-16 from the field overall and 1-for-9 from behind the three-point line for 13 points, while all of the Bucks’ starters scored in double figures. He contributed five assists as well.
There was minimal assistance after Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 30-point, 18-rebound, 11-assist triple-double, which was followed by Khris Middleton’s 21 points and six assists and Brook Lopez’s 21 points and four blocks. Together, the four bench players for the Bucks were just 6-for-19 (31.5%).
“In the end, I think it was a stops game; we couldn’t get stops, and they managed to win,” Antetokounmpo remarked.
Conclusion:
“Pacers Secure Victory in an Exciting Comeback, Ending Bucks’ Home Winning Streak; Notable Performance from Second Unit Recognized by Bucks”
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