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Giannis, Bucks Cruise Past Domantas Sabonis, Pacers 119-100
March 5, 2020
The Milwaukee Bucks inched a bit closer to reaching 70 wins on Wednesday night with a 119-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Nearly a month after the Pacers defeated a Milwaukee team without Giannis Antetokounmpo in Indianapolis, 118-111, the Bucks returned the favor with Victor Oladipo sidelined for Indiana. The Pacers star shooting guard had been experiencing swelling in his knee and was downgraded to out hours before the game.
In his absence, Domantas Sabonis was tasked with leading the charge against the NBA's top team. He wasn't enough.
Indiana snapped a four-game winning streak, but having won six of the last eight contests, it entered the night just two games back of the Miami Heat for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, which would guarantee home-court advantage for at least the first round of the postseason.
Milwaukee bounced back strong after an uncharacteristic loss by 16 to Miami on Monday as Antetokounmpo led the way with 29 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
Notable Performers
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF, Bucks: 29 points, 12 rebounds, six assists
- Khris Middleton, SF, Bucks: 20 points, eight rebounds
- Domantas Sabonis, PF, Pacers: 15 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists
- T.J. Warren, SF, Pacers: 18 points, four rebounds
Bucks Pour On Points Late
Leave it to the Bucks (53-9) to find new ways to challenge themselves.
Milwaukee opened up on a 25-6 run over the first seven minutes of game in what appeared to be an end-to-end blowout. The Pacers closed that gap by halftime.
After Indiana (37-25) tied things up at 60 only 90 seconds into the third quarter, the Bucks piled on the points to get the lead back up to 28 with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Pacers were shell-shocked. The Bucks had barely seemed to break a sweat. Four Milwaukee starters scored at least 15 points with only Brook Lopez (three points) failing to reach double digits.
Yes, the Pacers were down Oladipo—and later Brogdon—but they're still a formidable opponent with Sabonis, Myles Turner and T.J. Warren pacing the offense. Milwaukee made them all shrink on Wednesday.
This was a clear flex by the league's best team after a brutal loss to the Heat on Monday, and now the Bucks continue their streak of not dropping back-to-back games this season.
That's trouble for any team hoping to defeat them in a seven-game playoff series.
Brogdon Exits Early In Loss
The one thing the Indiana Pacers couldn't afford Wednesday night was another injury to a key player. A loss to the Bucks is possible to overcome. A starter going down is much tougher.
The Pacers were dealt both. Starting point guard Malcolm Brogdon, who was acquired by Indiana over the summer via sign-and-trade with Milwaukee, was seen walking back to the locker room with five minutes remaining in the first half.
Midway through the third quarter, he was ruled out for the night with a hip injury. His final line on the night: four points, two assists and two rebounds. With Oladipo still taking things easy as he returns from a knee injury, this is not a loss for which the backcourt is prepared.
In his absence, T.J. McConnell (14 points) played 30 minutes as the game got out of hand late in the fourth quarter. That put too much pressure on Sabonis, and the big man shot just 6-of-16 from the field with six turnovers.
The mid-week matchup offered a potential playoff preview. If the Pacers can't get fully healthy by the postseason, that series may look a lot like it did on Wednesday.
What's Next
The Pacers' five-game road trip continues Friday as their third stop lands them in Chicago to face the Bulls before they jet off to face Luka Doncic and the Mavericks in Dallas on Sunday.
Milwaukee is also heading out on the road for a three-game swing out west. The Bucks will face the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday in a potential NBA Finals preview as the top teams in the East and West clash at Staples Center at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.