Pacers hold back Bucks

[March 03, 2018]  Victor Oladipo scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half as the visiting Indiana Pacers fended off the Milwaukee Bucks' late comeback attempt and snapped their two-game losing streak with a 103-96 victory Friday night at the Bradley Center.

All five Pacers starters scored in double figures, as did Lance Stephenson, who came off the bench to finish with 16 points. Bojan Bogdanovic had 14 points, Myles Turner 13, Cory Joseph 12 and Thaddeus Young 10.

Khris Middleton led Milwaukee with 30 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 24 with a 10-for-12 showing from the free throw line. However, the Bucks shot just 38.3 percent from the floor and went 9 of 25 from long distance as their losing streak reached four games.

Indiana made 44.6 percent of its field goal attempts, including 6 of 16 from 3-point range.

Milwaukee held a 46-45 lead at halftime despite shooting 35.6 percent. Antetokounmpo had 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, but was 4-for-10 from the floor while Bledsoe missed 7 of 8 first-half shots.

Fortunately for the Bucks, Indiana was even worse from the floor. The Pacers hit only 15 of 45 shots before halftime, and just two baskets came from beyond the arc. Turner led the way with 10 while Young and Stephenson added seven each.

Oladipo was held to four points in the first half but scored nine in the third quarter. Milwaukee missed 12 of its first 15 shots after the break while Antetokounmpo missed all five of his attempts in the third period. The Bucks went into the fourth in a 78-67 hole.

 

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) grabs a rebound in the second quarter during the game against the Indiana Pacers at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Pacers blew the game wide open in the fourth and stretched their lead to 17 when Oladipo fed Domantas Sabonis for a 14-foot jumper with 6:34 left that made it a 93-76 game.

Milwaukee finally showed a pulse, starting with a 3-pointer from Middleton that kicked off a 10-0 run. Bledsoe capped it off with a 3-pointer off an assist from Antetokounmpo that got the Bucks within seven with 4:35 remaining.

An offensive foul on Turner marked a third straight empty possession for Indiana and kept Milwaukee's run going. Antetokounmpo made it a five point game with a pair of free throws. Bledsoe blocked Oladipo's 3-point attempt from the corner, and after Bledsoe turned it over, Oladipo finally broke the Pacers' drought with a 28-footer.

Milwaukee got no closer than four the rest of the way.

--Field Level Media

[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.