Last Updated: Dec. 12 at 4:50 PM ET
Matchup
The red-hot Pacers (17-10) will look to extend their longest winning streak of the season to five games and sweep a three-game homestand on Wednesday night, when they welcome their Central Division rivals the Milwaukee Bucks (18-8) to Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Indiana is coming off a 109-101 victory over Washington on Monday, which featured a dominant performance from Myles Turner. The 22-year-old center scored a season-high 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting, pulled down 12 rebounds, and swatted away five shots in the victory.
Turner's strong play drew high praise from his teammates, particularly his efforts on the defensive end. Most of his blocks were highlight-reel worthy and he altered several more attempts, effectively providing a wall at the rim. Veteran point guard Darren Collison said afterwards that Turner deserves consideration for Defensive Player of the Year honors.
The Pacers will need Turner's rim protection on Wednesday against a Bucks team that ranks third in the NBA in points in the paint, averaging 55.1 points per game in the interior. The biggest reason for that is 6-11 forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the top candidates for MVP honors after the first quarter of the season.
Antetokounmpo seemingly scores at will despite posing no real threat as a jump shooter (he's shooting a dismal 11.9 percent from 3-point range). The Greek Freak ranks sixth in the league in scoring at 26.5 points per game and is shooting 57.5 percent from the field. He's also fourth in the league in rebounding, pulling down 13 per contest, and dishes out six assists per night.
Antetokounmpo was a late scratch from Milwaukee's win over Cleveland on Monday due to neck soreness, but the Bucks are hopeful he is back on the court Wednesday.
Though it's early in the season, Wednesday's game could have major ramifications come playoff time. Indiana is just a game and a half back of second-place Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference standings, but the Bucks already have a win over the Pacers back on Oct. 19. If the Pacers drop Wednesday's game, Milwaukee is guaranteed at least a split in the season series, which would give them the upper hand in the fight for a potential head-to-head tiebreaker.
Projected Starters
Darren Collison
Victor Oladipo
Bojan Bogdanovic
Thaddeus Young
Myles Turner
Eric Bledsoe
Malcolm Brogdon
Khris Middleton
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Brook Lopez
Pacers: PG - Darren Collison, SG - Victor Oladipo, SF - Bojan Bogdanovic, PF - Thaddeus Young, C - Myles Turner
Bucks: PG - Eric Bledsoe, SG - Malcolm Brogdon, SF - Khris Middleton, PF - Giannis Antetokounmpo, C - Brook Lopez
Injury Report
Pacers: None
Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo - questionable (neck soreness)
Last Meeting
October 19, 2018: The Bucks christened the Fiserv Forum in style, rolling the Pacers 118-101 in their first regular season game in their new arena in downtown Milwaukee.
Giannis Antetokounmpo racked up 26 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists, while his teammates combined to make 17 3-pointers in the victory.
"He demands a lot of attention, obviously," Victor Oladipo said. "One man can't stop him all by himself. We need to load to him and stop him. Overall, we have just got to do a better job of doing that earlier in the game."
Oladipo led the Blue & Gold with 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting and five rebounds in the loss. Domantas Sabonis added a double-double off the bench, finishing with 12 points and 13 rebounds in just 22 minutes.
Noteworthy
- The Pacers have won their last three homes games against the Bucks. Milwaukee's last win in Bankers Life Fieldhouse came on Feb. 11, 2017.
- Indiana and the Bucks meet twice more this season: on Feb. 13 at The Fieldhouse and in Milwaukee on March 7.
- The Bucks acquired former Pacers guard and Indianapolis native George Hill from Cleveland in a three-team trade on Dec. 7. Hill played 13 minutes off the bench on Monday in his Bucks debut.
Tickets
The Pacers wrap up a three-game homestand when they host Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets »
Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »
TV: FOX Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 107.5 FM/AM 1070 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Slick Leonard (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Please Note: Inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Pacers radio broadcasts can be heard on 1080 AM instead of 1070.