Matchup
Riding a four-game win streak, the Pacers will face a tougher test on Wednesday night, when the Blue & Gold (37-24) visit Milwaukee to take on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks (52-9).
The Pacers picked up a 116-111 win on Monday night in San Antonio despite two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo missing the game with a sore right knee and All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis having an off night, finishing with just 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting, tied for his lowest-scoring night since Jan. 20.
Monday's win speaks to Indiana's depth. Malcolm Brogdon scored 26 points and T.J. Warren added 23. Reserves Justin Holiday and Doug McDermott combined for 25 points off the bench while going 7-for-10 from 3-point range. And Myles Turner continued his recent surge, tallying 17 points and four blocks. During Indiana's four-game win streak, Turner has averaged 11.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks per game.
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The Bucks own the NBA's best record, but are coming off a loss on Monday night in Miami. Milwaukee has not lost consecutive games all season long, a streak the Pacers will try to snap on Wednesday.
After taking home NBA MVP honors last season, Antetokounmpo is the overwhelming favorite to win the league's most prestigious individual award for the second straight season. Though the Bucks' dominance has allowed them to limit the 6-11 forward to under 31 minutes per game, Antetkounmpo still ranks fourth in the league in both scoring (29.6 points per game) and rebounding (13.8 boards per game), while shooting 55.1 percent from the field.
Projected Starters
Malcolm Brogdon
Victor Oladipo
T.J. Warren
Domantas Sabonis
Myles Turner
Eric Bledsoe
Wesley Matthews
Khris Middleton
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Brook Lopez
Pacers: PG - Malcolm Brogdon, SG - Victor Oladipo, SF - T.J. Warren, PF - Domantas Sabonis, C - Myles Turner
Bucks: PG - Eric Bledsoe, SG - Wesley Matthews, SF - Khris Middleton, PF - Giannis Antetokounmpo, C - Brook Lopez
Injury Report
Pacers: Victor Oladipo - questionable (sore right knee), Jeremy Lamb - out (torn left ACL)
Bucks: George Hill - out (groin contusion), Kyle Korver - out (back soreness)
Last Meeting
February 12, 2020: The Pacers snapped a six-game skid with a 118-111 win over the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Bucks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in their final game before the All-Star break.
Indiana raced out to a 68-45 halftime lead, saw it whittled down to four in the fourth quarter, but held on for the victory.
"Coach called timeout, and rallied (us), like, 'We're still up,'" Domantas Sabonis said after the Bucks threatened. "Things aren't going our way, but we're still up. We just got to — no matter how — just get it done. Coach was saying believe, and I felt like we believed. And we got the necessary stops and executed on offense at the right time to build that lead."
T.J. Warren led Indiana with 35 points on 16-of-19 shooting. Six players — including all five starters — reached double figures in the victory. Malcolm Brogdon tallied 17 points and matched his career high with 13 assists.
Donte DiVincenzo led Milwaukee with 19 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Khris Middleton added 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists in the loss.
Noteworthy
- The Pacers have not won in Fiserv Forum, dropping all three games in Milwaukee since the arena opened for the 2018-19 NBA season.
- With 47 double-doubles this season, Domantas Sabonis has tied Clark Kellogg (1982-83) for the second-most double-doubles in a season in NBA franchise history. Troy Murphy holds the franchise record with 49 double-doubles in the 2008-09 season.
- Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon played for the Bucks from 2016-19, while Bucks guards George Hill and Wesley Matthews are former Pacers. Broad Ripple High School and IUPUI alum Hill played for the Pacers from 2011-16, while started 23 regular season and four playoff games for Indiana last spring after signing with the team after the trade deadline.
Tickets
After a five-game road trip, the Pacers return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to host Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, March 10 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)
ESPN - Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Chauncey Billups (analyst), Cassidy Hubbarth (sideline reporter)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 FM/1070 AM The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Pat Boylan (studio host)