Jrue Holiday posted 23 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, Giannis Antetokounmpo added 26 points and 13 rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks blew out the Indiana Pacers 118-100 on Sunday in Indianapolis for their seventh consecutive win.
Milwaukee pulled away with a 39-27 third quarter, including a 15-4 run that pushed the Bucks’ lead to 15 points. The gap ballooned to as many as 22 points in the fourth quarter.
Antetokounmpo and Holiday led Milwaukee’s balanced offensive effort. Six Bucks scored in double-figures and seven finished with at least eight points, including Khris Middleton, who had a strong all-around game of 14 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Bobby Portis scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Pat Connaughton and George Hill came off the bench for 14 and 13 points and seven and six rebounds, respectively.
Milwaukee’s ability to attack the rim made the difference. They outscored the Pacers in the paint 62-36, thanks in part to Antetokounmpo’s eight made field goals in the lane. He shot 10-of-15 from the floor overall.
Holiday hit 10 of his 11 made field goals in the paint, and Connaughton scored four times there.
After a first-quarter stalemate, Indiana never fully recovered from a sluggish start to the second quarter. The Pacers were outscored 12-4 to open the period and trailed the rest of the way.
They trimmed the deficit to one point on a 3-pointer from Caris LeVert with 9:53 left in the third quarter and were within four before the Bucks’ 15-4 outburst.
LeVert scored a season-high 23 points for Indiana. Malcolm Brogdon added 16 points, and T.J. McConnell, Chris Duarte and Justin Holiday scored 10 points apiece.
Domantas Sabonis grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds, but was denied his 16th double-double of the season because he scored only four points.
–Field Level Media