Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 142-133 win over the Indiana Pacers

The Milwaukee Bucks completed the regular season series sweep over their central division rival the Indiana Pacers last night with a 142-133 win.

Indiana was without three typical starters in this contest, including former Buck Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner, and the ascending Caris LeVert. Still, the understaffed Pacers put up a fight until the very end, managing to keep things close and never let the Bucks outright pull away.

More from Bucks News

• Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
• Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
• Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
• Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
• New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited

Milwaukee’s pursuit of the second seed in the Eastern Conference standings also remains within reach as they are now just a game back of the Brooklyn Nets following the win and have the tiebreaker at their disposal.

Time will tell how those standings shake out, but here are three takeaways from Milwaukee’s win over Indiana that helped keep them afloat in the race last night.

The Milwaukee Bucks take over the paint in win over Pacers

Indiana was without the aforementioned big man Myles Turner for this matchup, who has been out of their lineup since last month with a right foot injury. Turner had been among the league leaders in blocked shots this season because of his threatening presence at the rim, and the Bucks took full advantage of his absence in last night’s contest.

With little pushback whatsoever, Milwaukee consistently and aggressively made their way to the rim all throughout the evening. That assertive approach helped the Bucks tally 78 of their 142 points directly from the painted area in what was a dominant overall showing.

Among the several players that helped propel Milwaukee’s paint attack, Brook Lopez had himself yet another big night. The big man continued his recent hot streak on the offensive end by finishing with 21 points on an efficient 9-for-15 shooting and doing the bulk of his work close to the basket as he attempted just one triple on the night.

Lopez has been heating up at the perfect time as the playoffs inch closer, and it is a welcoming sign to see him keep these recent efforts consistent. While his floor spacing is a welcoming threat to have, it is no coincidence that his best outings lately have come when he is driving himself closer to the hoop.

Still, Lopez was certainly not alone in the Bucks’ paint attack last night as he got some assistance from the two-time MVP.

Giannis Antetokounmpo dominates for Milwaukee Bucks in win over Pacers

Many questioned whether Giannis Antetokounmpo would start getting more rest before the postseason, but as evidenced by last night’s performance against Indiana, he plans to continue moving full speed ahead.

The Pacers had no answer whatsoever for Antetokounmpo, who was nothing short of dominant by scoring 40 points on a highly efficient 14-of-18 shooting from the floor. The Greek Freak was a catalyst in Milwaukee’s dynamic paint scoring, shooting 13-of-14 on shots in the restricted area against the Pacers, according to NBA.com/stats.

Without Turner’s hulking defensive presence available to the Pacers, Antetokounmpo was given little resistance as he bulldozed his way towards the rim time and time again. Along with a rare near-flawless shooting performance, that aggressiveness earned Antetokounmpo 16 attempts from the free throw line, where he connected on 11 of those shots.

In addition to his prolific scoring, Antetokounmpo hauled in 15 rebounds and dished out six assists to cap off a fantastic showing against the division rival. With just two regular season games left on the schedule, one can hope that this commanding performance can help Giannis find a groove to close out the year and head into the playoffs on a high note.

The Holiday brothers go back and forth in Milwaukee Bucks’ win over Pacers

 Jrue Holiday is yet another Buck that is potentially playing their best basketball of the season right now, which continued to be the case against Indiana.

The guard clocked in another stellar performance by scoring 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Sticking with the theme of efficiency from inside the arc, four of Holiday’s overall misses came from 3-point territory. When he was not scoring the basketball, the floor general ensured to keep the ball moving as he logged 14 assists on the night and matched his season-high, which was also set against the Pacers.

While his offense was clicking in virtually every facet, Holiday’s defense was also up to par as he tallied four blocks in the contest. There will never be any questioning how imposing the guard can be defensively, but to see him match his season-high in blocks is quite eye-catching.

Meanwhile, Justin Holiday, Jrue’s older brother, also had himself a night from Indiana’s side of things. The veteran led the Pacers in scoring with 26 points on 9-for-16 shooting, which included 8-of-12 from long range. The older Holiday was on fire from the opening tip in this game as 18 of those points came off six made triples in the first quarter, but that red-hot shooting dialed down when the two brothers were head-to-head.

Both brothers had fantastic games for their respective teams, but it was Jrue that got the last laugh as he and the Bucks walked away with the victory. Younger brother Aaron Holiday was among the Pacers that sat this one out with injury.

Holiday and the Bucks will look to keep this momentum going as they face the Miami Heat Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. CST. That will be a game filled with storylines stemming from last year’s postseason meeting to the current seeding implications, and those living locally can catch the action on Bally Sports Wisconsin.