Game Rewind: Pacers 119, Bucks 132

Monday, Jan. 16 at 2:30 PM ET at Fiserv Forum

T.J. McConnell put on a show in the first half on Monday afternoon in Milwaukee, scoring a career-best 25 points before halftime, going 9-for-9 from the field and 4-for-4 from 3-point range to propel Indiana to a 76-65 lead at the intermission.

Unfortunately, McConnell and the Pacers (23-22) ran out of gas in the second half, as the Bucks (28-16) made 23 3-pointers and picked up a 132-119 win. It was Milwaukee's ninth straight victory over Indiana overall and also their ninth straight win at Fiserv Forum over the Pacers, who have yet to win at the arena since it opened for the 2018-19 season.

Myles Turner had 30 points for Indiana on 11-of-17 shooting (5-of-9 from 3-point range), eight rebounds, and four blocks in his first game back after missing the last three contests with back spasms.

McConnell added 29 points, five rebounds, nine assists, and three steals off the bench, setting career highs for points and 3-pointers made.

But with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and All-Star forward Khris Middleton sidelined due to knee soreness, Bucks guard Jrue Holiday stepped up to lead Milwaukee to victory. The veteran point guard had a game-high 35 points, going 13-for-19 from the field and 5-for-8 from 3-point range, and also dished out 11 assists.

The Pacers were in control for the majority of the night, leading by as many as 13. But Holiday and the Bucks fought back with a barrage of 3-pointers. The hosts trailed by five entering the fourth quarter and surged ahead less than two minutes into the final frame.

Back-to-back threes by Jordan Nwora and Grayson Allen gave Milwaukee a 101-100 lead with 10:04 to play, the Bucks' first lead since the opening quarter.

The Pacers answered with four straight points on baskets by Andrew Nembhard and Jalen Smith, but Milwaukee moved back in front following another three by Allen with 8:18 remaining. Buddy Hield and Nwora then traded triples and the lead before two straight buckets by Holiday gave the Bucks a five-point cushion.

The Pacers cut the deficit to three on three occasions over the next minute and a half, but each time the Bucks answered.

Pat Connaughton eventually drained Milwaukee's 23rd 3-pointer of the night with 4:28 remaining and Bobby Portis added two free throws at 3:34 to push the Bucks' lead to 122-114.

Aaron Nesmith made a much-needed three at 3:22 to pull the Pacers back within five, but after a timeout, Brook Lopez scored on the other end. The Bucks won a jump ball on the other end, and Holiday then sealed the victory with a jumper on the other end.

Hield finished with 18 points, five rebounds, and five assists in the loss, going 5-for-10 from 3-point range. Bennedict Mathurin joined him in double figures, tallying 12 points and eight rebounds, but the Pacers faded down the stretch.

It was a disappointing finish after a promising start. Turner made an immediate impact from the opening tip, scoring nine points on 3-of-3 shooting and blocking a shot in his first seven-minute stint.

The first quarter was a tightly contested affair featuring six ties and three lead changes. The Pacers eventually surged ahead thanks to a 12-3 run that featured seven points -- including a rare 3-pointer -- from backup point guard T.J. McConnell. That gave the visitors a 32-25 lead with 1:54 remaining in the first quarter.

Milwaukee climbed back within one behind a 7-1 spurt that featured a four-point play by Nwora and a deep three by rookie A.J. Green, but the Blue & Gold closed the quarter strong.

McConnell set up Isaiah Jackson for an alley-oop dunk with 4.4 seconds left, then came up with a steal off the ensuing inbound, somehow kept his balance tip-toeing along the sideline, and calmly drained another three from right in front of the Indiana bench as the buzzer sounded to give the visitors a 38-32 lead after one.

McConnell and the Pacers stayed hot in the second quarter. The eight-year veteran converted a jumper at the 9:37 mark, a three-point play at 9:13, and drained his third three of the game at 7:02.

After a dunk from Hield -- another rare sight -- at 5:46, McConnell drilled his fourth 3-pointer at 5:23 -- the first time in his career that he has made four threes in a single game.

"Just trying to see how they were playing me," McConnell said of his hot-shooting night. "They went under on (ball screens) and I just shot them with confidence. Got to continue to do that. Credit to my teammates for finding me."

Turner's breakaway dunk at 4:12 pushed Indiana's lead to 63-50 and forced a Bucks timeout.

Brook Lopez knocked down a three and Jrue Holiday drained two more over the final few minutes, but McConnell and the Pacers continued to answer on the other end. McConnell scored twice more to reach 25 points -- already surpassing his career high -- then found the rookie Nembhard in the right corner for a three just before the buzzer sounded to give the visitors a 76-65 lead entering the break.

The Bucks trimmed the deficit to 81-75 following Portis' jumper less than four minutes into the third quarter. The Pacers then brought McConnell back in and he immediately provided a spark, setting up Turner for a three-point play, then connecting with Hield for the second of his back-to-back threes as Indiana reeled off a quick 9-3 run to push the margin back to double digits.

Milwaukee kept coming, however. The hosts slowly clawed their way back, culminating with Holiday's 3-pointer with 10.2 seconds left in the third quarter that cut Indiana's lead to 95-93.

Once again, McConnell and the Pacers closed a quarter with a flair. McConnell raced down the floor and kicked out to Oshae Brissett in the left corner for yet another buzzer-beating trey to give the visitors a five-point advantage entering the fourth quarter.

But the final frame belonged to the Bucks, who outscored Indiana 39-21 over the final 12 minutes.

"I just think that their offense was how it's supposed to be," Turner said of the difference down the stretch. "They're moving the ball, they're turning down good shots for great shots and they're really making us work on that end.

"And then especially on the offensive end, we (didn't) have that same pop up on that end that we did in the first half."

Portis tallied 21 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists for Milwaukee. Lopez added 19 points and six boards, Allen registered 17 points, five rebounds, and four assists, and Nwora scored 14 off the bench while going 4-for-4 from 3-point range.

Antetokounmpo missed his third straight game for the Bucks with a sore left knee. Middleton has not played since Dec. 15 due to right knee soreness.

The Pacers, who have now dropped four straight games, will continue their four-game road trip on Wednesday night in Oklahoma City. They will also visit Denver and Phoenix over the weekend before returning to Indianapolis.

Turner reached 30 points for the fourth time this season. He also blocked four shots for the ninth time and has accomplished that feat four times in his last seven games.

After failing to make a three in Saturday's loss to Memphis, Hield bounced back with five treys against Milwaukee. He now has 175 3-pointers on the season, most in the NBA. Prior to Saturday, he had made at least one three in 43 straight games to start the season and 55 consecutive contests dating back to last year.

The Pacers matched their season high with 76 points in the first half, shooting a blistering 60.9 percent from the field and going 12-for-22 (54.5 percent) from 3-point range.

The Bucks went 23-for-46 from 3-point range on the night. Those 23 threes were the most by a Pacers opponent this season and one shy of the most ever by an Indiana opponent. That record was set by Milwaukee, which made 24 3-pointers against the Blue & Gold on March 21, 2022 and matched by Charlotte on Jan. 26, 2022. Seven different Bucks made at least two 3-pointers and five made three or more on Monday.

The Pacers were 19-for-40 (47.5 percent) from beyond the arc themselves. The 42 combined 3-pointers on Monday were the most ever in game involving the Pacers and two shy of the NBA record, which was set in Milwaukee in a game between the Bucks and Rockets on May 7, 2021.

"His first half was phenomenal. The 25 points, 4-for-4 from three, just the juice that he brought to the game was amazing. He did some good things in the second half, but they made some adjustments to him and other guys, too." -Carlisle on McConnell's first half

"I was just impressed with his confidence. I think there's times he'll turn down those shots, but he stepped into them, knocked them down. He puts in a lot of work on his shot." -Turner on McConnell

"He's a confident guy. He plays with a chip on his shoulder...He brings energy and a toughness to this team." -Hield on McConnell

"In the second half, championship-level teams slow you down and make you play in the halfcourt. We just have to be able to execute on both ends. That was the difference." -McConnell on the Bucks' adjustments after halftime

"One really good half and one really bad half. Pretty much as simple as that. Disappointed but there were some positives. The second half we certainly didn't play as well as we needed to or anywhere close." -Carlisle on the difference in the game

"A team like that just makes you rotate...They have shooters everywhere, one through five. You can't really make a mistake rotation-wise. We made a few of those tonight and they made us pay." -McConnell on Milwaukee making 23 3-pointers

McConnell was sensational in the first half, surpassing career highs for points and 3-pointers made before halftime. His 25 points in the first half were two more than his previous career best, which he set against Milwaukee on May 13, 2021, and he made four 3-pointers in a single game for the first time ever (he had made three 3-pointers on seven occasions, including Nov. 21 against Orlando).

McConnell's 25 points on Monday were the most by a Pacer in the first half this season.

After a four-game road trip, the Pacers will be back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>