Trent ties Bucks playoff mark with
9 3s, he and Giannis score 37 in 117-101 Game 3 win over Pacers
[April 26, 2025]
By RICH ROVITO
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Gary Trent Jr. got hot from deep, Giannis
Antetokounmpo dominated in the paint and together they gave the
Milwaukee Bucks new life in their first-round playoff series.
Trent tied a franchise playoff record with nine 3-pointers and
scored 37 points, Antetokounmpo also had 37 and the Bucks used a big
second half to beat Indiana 117-101 on Friday night and cut the
Pacers' series lead to 2-1.
“My mindset was just to come in and get a win," said Trent, who got
a rare start and had his highest playoff scoring output.
Trent also was assigned to cover Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who
was held in check for most of the game.
“I was trying to be all over him to start the game," Trent said.
"Let him know you’re there and try to take him out of his game.”
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Trent's aggressiveness earned him a
start.
“There were two reasons. The offensive part because he’s really
aggressive and the defensive part because of his hands," Rivers
said. “We wanted somebody aggressive to attack Haliburton. I thought
he did that."
The Pacers led 57-47 at halftime, but Trent hit three 3-pointers
early in the third to pull the Bucks even at 62. The Bucks grabbed a
72-69 lead on Antetokounmpo’s three-point play and led 86-75 at the
end of the quarter.
The lead grew to as many as 20 in the fourth and Trent finished 9
for 12 behind the arc to tie Hall of Famer Ray Allen's mark for most
3-pointers in a postseason game. The Bucks outscored the Pacers
70-44 in the second half.
Antetokounmpo added 12 rebounds for Milwaukee, which hosts Game 4 on
Sunday. A.J. Green scored 12 points and Bobby Portis had 10 for the
Bucks, who took on the Pacers for the 18th time in the past two
seasons.
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Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr., second from left, celebrates
with forward Bobby Portis after scoring a three-point basket during
the second half in Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff
series against the Indiana Pacers, Friday, April 25, 2025, in
Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
“We have to stay humble,” Antetokounmpo said. “It's
just one game.”
Indiana had won five of the last six playoff games between the teams
and ousted the Bucks from the playoffs in the opening round last
season.
“We were bad on both sides of the ball,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle
said. “They were great, we were bad.”
Pascal Siakam had 28 points and Aaron Nesmith scored 18 for the
Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton finished with 14 points and 10 assists.
After trailing throughout Game 2, the Bucks grabbed an early lead.
Antetokounmpo and Trent combined to score Milwaukee’s first 21
points. No other Bucks player scored until Green sank a 3-pointer
with 2:28 left in the opening quarter.
Milwaukee shot 4 for 23 from 3-point range over the first two
quarters but was 11 for 18 after halftime.
Bucks star guard Damian Lillard was held to seven points on 2-of-12
shooting. He made just 1-of-8 3-pointers.
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