Coming off back-to-back games against the reigning champion Boston Celtics, the Indiana Pacers welcome in the visiting Milwaukee Bucks for an afternoon battle on New Year’s Eve.
After Boston dominated the front end 142-105, Indiana bounced back and won 123-114 at TD Garden on Sunday night.
Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 31 points and seven assists and was one of eight Pacers who scored at least eight points in the contest.
“We knew we were going to respond. We know who we are. It’s a good win for us,” Haliburton said. “I just want to take what the defense gives me. Everyone is on me to get downhill more, shoot more … every game is about learning, growing and getting better.”
Milwaukee comes in off back-to-back losses, both without Giannis Antetokounmpo on the floor. After blowing a 13-point lead to Brooklyn on Thursday, they lost 116-11 to Chicago on Saturday night.
Damian Lillard returned from injury and led Milwaukee with 29 points and 12 assists. Eighteen of those points came in the second half, but Bucks coach Doc Rivers regretted not getting him more chances at the end of the game.
“I got to do a better job of making sure Dame gets the ball in his hands down the stretch of the game,” Rivers said. “We have to have an understanding to get it to him and I just have to get it to him and live with it.”
Antetokounmpo leads the NBA with 32.7 points per game and leads the Bucks with 11.6 rebounds. Lillard leads with 7.7 assists per night.
Pascal Siakam leads Indiana with 19.8 points per game, with six other Pacers averaging double figures. Siakam also leads with 7.2 rebounds while Haliburton averages 8.7 assists (fifth in NBA) and Myles Turner averages 2.1 blocks (third in NBA).
The question for this game will be if Antetokounmpo, who has missed the last few games with an illness that made its rounds in the Bucks’ locker room, will be able to go.
Milwaukee is mostly over the illness as a team, but rookie AJ Johnson also sat out against Chicago due to the illness. Rivers also said Khris Middleton is on a minutes’ restriction after his recent return from injury and illness.
On the Pacers’ side, Obi Toppin is considered day-to-day with an ankle injury and missed Sunday’s game. Aaron Nesmith (ankle), Isaiah Jackson (Achilles) and James Wiseman (Achilles) remain out as well.
The Bucks took the first matchup between these teams 129-117 at home on Nov. 22. Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 37 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds and the Bucks shot 47.2 percent from deep.
This series was well-documented a year ago when Indiana won four of the five matchups against Milwaukee, with an extra meeting thanks to the NBA Cup semifinals.
In the Bucks’ lone win, Antetokounmpo scored a franchise-record 64 points, which led to a dust-up in the locker room with some confusion over who took the game ball.
–Field Level Media
