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 Ilyasova scored nine of his career-high 24 points in the final
quarter as Milwaukee held off a comeback attempt by Indiana to post
a 111-107 victory over the Pacers, winning consecutive games for the
first time in a month.
"He was cooking," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "He was aggressive,
he took open shots and he just didn't settle. He also put the ball
on the floor and everything he shot pretty much went in."
Ilyasova was on from the start and single-handedly outscored Indiana
in the first quarter. He knocked down three 3-pointers and had 17
points as the Bucks, who shot 74 percent from the floor in the
quarter, took a 34-15 lead.
"The offense was working for us," said Ilyasova, who made 12 of 14
shots including five 3-pointers. "I found myself open a couple times
and I just tried to make those shots."
Thursday marked the ninth straight double-digit scoring game for
Ilyasova.
"He's been playing at an All-Star level for them lately and it
showed tonight that he's a focal point of that team," Pacers guard
George Hill said. "He's a tough cover. Very aggressive, can shoot
the ball. He's a smart defender, a smart guy. He had it clicking on
all cylinders tonight."
Like Ilyasova dominated the early parts of the game for Milwaukee,
Hill took control down the stretch and scored 15 of his 24 points in
the final quarter as the Pacers tried to claw their way back.
He knocked down four 3-pointers in the final quarter and made it a
94-92 game when he hit his fourth 3-pointer with 5:41 to play.
"We got a couple of stops in a row and we moved the ball very well,"
Hill said. "We drew double teams and our bigs made plays."
But Bucks point guard Michael Carter-Williams gave Milwaukee some
breathing room, converting a three-point play. After an Indiana shot
clock violation, Carter-Williams found shooting guard Khris
Middleton open in the corner for a 3-pointer with 4:54 left,
extending the lead to eight.
Hill had a chance to tie the score with 1.8 seconds left, but his
3-point attempt rolled off the rim and Bucks guard Jerryd Bayless
closed the game by hitting one of two free throws.
"It felt good," Hill said. "Was probably the best shot all day, just
the worst result."
Indiana came into the game having lost six of their last seven
contests but was looking to get back on track after a fourth quarter
rally Wednesday against Washington. But the Pacers turned the ball
over eight times in the first quarter and went 6 of 19 from the
field.
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"I'm proud of our fight and how they got back into it but you can't
start the way we did," Vogel said. "I thought we played with energy
but we just weren't very good early."
All five Milwaukee starters reached double figures. Middleton had 17
points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field, forward Giannis
Antetokounmpo scored 16 points, Carter-Williams 13 and center Zaza
Pachulia had 12.
"It probably wasn't fun to watch as a spectator," Kidd said. "There
was no rhythm to the game but that happens sometimes. I thought the
guys kept their composure, played through it and found a way to get
a big win."
Shooting guard C.J. Miles scored 26 points and reserve point guard
C.J. Watson had 23 off the bench for the Pacers, who shot 42 percent
from the field and made 14 of 30 3-point attempts but finished with
23 turnovers which Milwaukee turned into 19 points.
NOTES: Pacers F David West was held out of the game because of an
unspecified allergic reaction. ... Bucks G Jared Dudley and G O.J.
Mayo were both available. Dudley missed Milwaukee's previous six
games because of back issues, while Mayo returned and played five
minutes Tuesday night after missing 12 of the last 14 games because
of a sore hamstring. ... Pacers PG Rodney Stuckey missed his second
consecutive game because of a strained left calf. ... Indiana
allowed opponents to score an average of 108.2 points over the
previous six games and began Thursday allowing 97.1 points per game
this season. ... Milwaukee has lost three of four meetings with
Indiana this season and dropped three straight home games against
the Pacers.
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