After a tough defeat against the Miami Heat, where they posted their lowest score of the season (89 points), the Milwaukee Bucks bounced back in style, with a 119-100 win over the Indiana Pacers at home.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the charge with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists as the Bucks recovered after letting an early 22-point lead slip.
With the win, the Bucks move to a league-best 53-9 on the season while the Pacers fall to 37-25 after their four-game win streak came to an end.
The Bucks put on a show in the first quarter, outscoring the Pacers 36-23, building an early 33-11 lead, but it was gone as quick as it came, as they went on to miss all eight of their three-point attempts in the second quarter to let the Pacers back into the contest. They finished the half 5-of-20 from deep.
T.J. Warren's 14 first-half points helped trim the deficit to just 58-56 at the break.
𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙝𝙞𝙢
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) March 5, 2020
🗣️💪🏾@TonyWarrenJr pic.twitter.com/e6uDFUyagO
Whatever coach Mike Budenholzer said at the half seemed to work as the Bucks reeled off a 21-8 run in the third quarter to take an 81-68 lead.
Antetokounmpo turned playmaker in the third, racking up four of his six assists in the period, while the Bucks found their range from deep, connecting on six of their first 10 attempts from the three-point line, going on to outscore the Pacers 31-23 in the period.
Splash Mountain sparks a 21-8 run in the third. pic.twitter.com/HvgZpGubTV
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 5, 2020
The Pacers entered the fourth trailing by 10 points, before Eric Bledsoe took over, nailing a mid-range jumper, two free throws and a three-pointer to extend the lead out to 20 points.
The Bucks failed to reach 100 points in their past two games, after scoring at least 100 points in 83 consecutive regular-season games - the third-longest streak in NBA history, but Bledsoe's triple with 9:02 remaining brought up the century mark to give them a 101-81 lead.
From there, the Bucks ran away with the game, extending the lead to as many as 28 points in the final frame.
Bledsoe finished with 16 points, seven assists, and five rebounds, while Khris Middleton added 20 points and eight rebounds and Donte DiVincenzo tied his career-high with 19 points.
The Pacers were without Victor Oladipo (sore right knee) for this game and lost Malcolm Brogdon in the second quarter with hip soreness.
T.J. Warren led the Pacers with 18 points, while Domantas Sabonis added 15 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. They got some solid minutes off the bench as Doug McDermott chipped in 16 points and T.J. McConnell 14 points, six assists, and four rebounds.
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