Giannis pours in 50 to lead Bucks past Pacers 128-119
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a season-high 50 points, two off his career best, and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks past the skidding Indiana Pacers 128-119 on Tuesday night.
The Bucks (36-23) swept the four-game season series from the Pacers and have won eight straight against their Central Division foe.
Antetokounmpo, who didn’t play in Milwaukee’s loss to Portland on Monday night because of a sore left ankle, showed no ill effects as he racked up 12 first-quarter points that included a pair of thunderous dunks and a 3-pointer.
Antetokounmpo set a career high with his seventh 40-point game of the season and scored 50 for the first time since the memorable title-clinching game in the NBA Finals last season, which gave the Bucks their first championship in 50 years.
Milwaukee bounced back after consecutive double-digit losses to hand Indiana (19-40) its seventh consecutive defeat.
Both teams had only 10 players available due to injuries.
Buddy Hield scored a season-high 36 points and Tyrese Haliburton had 17 points and eight assists for Indiana.
The Bucks led 34-27 after the first quarter before the Pacers grabbed a short-lived lead midway through the second. A pair of 3-pointers by reserve guard Lindell Wigginton sparked a 12-2 surge that grew the lead to double digits. Milwaukee led 69-63 at halftime, paced by Antetokounmpo’s 18 points.
Milwaukee built a pair of nine-point leads in the third but couldn’t shake the Pacers. When Indiana got close again in the fourth, Antetokounmpo swished a 3-pointer and added a pair of free throws after a clear-path foul and Milwaukee eventually increased its lead to 14 before holding off the Pacers down the stretch.
TIP-INS
Pacers: G Chris Duarte (sore left big toe), F Isaiah Jackson (right ankle sprain), G Malcolm Brogdon (sore right Achilles) and C Myles Turner (left foot issue) all sat out. … Haliburton didn’t attempt a shot from the field until sinking a 3-pointer about four minutes into the second quarter. … Scored 13 points off nine Milwaukee turnovers in the first half. … Keifer Sykes had 10 points off the bench. … Lance Stephenson was whistled for a flagrant 1 foul after hitting Antetokounmpo in the face battling for a loose ball. … Jalen Smith fouled out while playing only 17 minutes.
Bucks: G Wesley Matthews didn’t play due to right toe soreness and G George Hill missed his eighth consecutive game with a neck issue. …Wigginton scored a career-high 12 points, topping his previous mark of 11 set a night earlier. … Serge Ibaka, who started in place of Antetokounmpo on Monday, had nine points in 24 minutes in his second game with Milwaukee after being acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers.