Jrue Holiday scored 35 points and dished out 11 assists, Bobby Portis went for 21 points and 11 rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to beat the visiting Indiana Pacers 132-119 on Monday.
The Bucks, playing without two-time MVP and 31-point-per-game scorer Giannis Antetokounmpo for a third consecutive game due to knee soreness, used a dominant fourth quarter to avoid a three-game losing streak.
Milwaukee outscored Indiana 39-21 in the final period thanks to a 14-of-18 shooting effort over the final 12 minutes.
Holiday scored 11 points of his game-high total in the fourth quarter, while Grayson Allen knocked down a pair of 3-pointers early in the period en route to eight of his 17 points during the stanza.
Allen’s performance, which also included five rebounds, four assists and two steals, was part of an all-around balanced effort for Milwaukee. Five Bucks scored in double figures, with Brook Lopez adding 19 points and Jordan Nwora coming off the bench to shoot 4 of 4 from 3-point range and finish with 14 points.
George Hill returned for his first appearance since Jan. 6 and shot 4-for-6 from the floor for nine points. Hill also distributed six assists, with 32 of Milwaukee’s 48 made field goals coming off assists.
The Bucks shot 48 of 91 from the field overall, including 23 of 46 from beyond the arc. Holiday, who went 5-for-8 from deep, led seven Milwaukee shooters connecting on at least two treys. Allen, Lopez and Portis each made three 3-point attempts.
Indiana — playing its third consecutive game without NBA assists leader Tyrese Haliburton — dropped its fourth straight, marking the Pacers’ longest losing skid of the season.
Myles Turner returned to the lineup after a three-game hiatus due to back issues and scored a team-high 30 points. He also matched Bennedict Mathurin’s team high with eight rebounds and blocked a game-high four shots.
T.J. McConnell came off the bench to score a career-high 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the floor while going 4-for-4 from 3-point range. Buddy Hield shot 5 of 10 from deep en route to 18 points.
–Field Level Media