Game Rewind: Pacers 104, Bucks 99

Another game, another down to the wire finish for the Indiana Pacers. But this time, because of strong bench play and sturdy defense to finish the game, Indiana was on the winning side of things, defeating the Bucks, 104-99, in Milwaukee.

After being ahead by 19 midway through the third quarter, the Pacers only led 100-96 with 29.4 seconds remaining. The visitors got a huge layup by Monta Ellis to push the lead to six, but Milwaukee responded with a Jerryd Bayless 3-point play to make it a one possession game with 16.4 seconds left.

Paul George had a chance to ice the contest with two free throws, but he missed both, giving the Bucks a chance to tie the game with 13 ticks left on the clock.

Khris Middleton got a decent look at a potential game-tying triple, but it was off the mark. Indiana's Solomon Hill secured the rebound, was fouled and drained the ensuing free throws to put the game out of reach.

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"You're playing on the road and it's a 48-minute game," Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said. "If you get a lead, they're going to make a run and you have to hold it off better. The important thing is we got a much-needed road victory."

Indiana would not have pulled out tonight's victory without its bench, and the Pacers were definitely happy to see Rodney Stuckey back to form. After missing 19 games due to injury, Stuckey returned on February 26, but had yet to have a statement game.

He looked like the Stuckey of old, as he finished with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Tonight was easily the best he's played since returning to action.

"I think it's to the point now where my foot is feeling fine, so I'm just going to go out there and play my game and not really necessarily worry about reaggravating it or anything," Stuckey said. "I'm feeling good. Tonight I just saw lanes where I could be aggressive, attack the basket and just shoot the ball when I'm open."

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Indiana got off to a slow start in this one, as halfway through the first period, the Pacers were just 2-of-12 from field and trailed 8-5, with all of their points coming from Ian Mahinmi.

But from there, things picked up, and Indiana’s inside men continued scoring. When the quarter was over, the teams were tied at 22, and Mahinmi, Jordan Hill and Myles Turner had combined for 16 points.

To start the second, Indiana blitzed the home team with a 14-2 run to lead 36-24 with 8:00 remaining in the period. The Bucks would cut the lead in half, but a late 5-0 spurt by George gave Indiana control heading into the locker room.

Indiana picked up where it left off to start the second half. The Blue & Gold began the third period with an 11-3 run to push their lead to 18, 60-42, with 7:27 to play in the quarter.

Milwaukee would not go down quietly. After Indiana raised its lead to 19, the Bucks scored 12 straight, making the score 63-56, with just over three minutes left in the period. When the third was through, Indiana led 73-63.

The beginning of the fourth quarter belonged to Milwaukee's Greg Monroe. The Bucks' big man kept his team alive, scoring Milwaukee's first 11 points in the final period. At the 8:58 mark, the Pacers' lead had been cut to six.

It seemed like Indiana had things wrapped up when Jordan Hill's mid-range jump shot with 1:36 remaining put the Pacers up 11, but Milwaukee reeled off six straight to trail 99-94 with 53.8 seconds left. But in the final minute of regulation, Indiana made just enough plays to avoid losing its fourth game in a row.

Along with Stuckey, Jordan Hill provided Indiana with a lift off the bench, finishing with 19 points and seven rebounds. George added 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists but also turned the ball over seven times.

For Milwaukee, Khris Middleton led the way with 23 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 22 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Tonight was the second game this season Jordan Hill led the Pacers in scoring. He last accomplished the feat when he scored 20 points on December 14, 2015 against the Toronto Raptors.

Lavoy Allen's +/- rating of +10 was the team's best.

Paul George's seven turnovers were tied for the most he's committed in a game this season.

"It's the NBA. Leads come and go. A 19-point lead isn't anything in the NBA, especially with a lot of time. It's a game of runs. We got the win." -George Hill

"We fought back, we kept making runs. [We] just couldn't get over that hump." -Milwaukee's Khris Middleton

"We make it too difficult on ourselves by mental breakdowns defensively and turnovers offensively. That was kind of my message. We don't need to make things this difficult on ourselves. You just play the game the right way." -Frank Vogel

Rodney Stuckey was a huge contributor off the Indiana bench, scoring 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting. It was Stuckey's first double-digit scoring effort since January 10.

The Pacers' road trip continues Friday when the Blue & Gold head to Charlotte to take on Kemba Walker and the Hornets. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 PM ET.

The Pacers don't return to The Fieldhouse until Monday, March 7, when they face off against the San Antonio Spurs. Find Tickets »