3 takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks’ thrilling win versus Indiana Pacers

After losing to the undermanned Portland Trail Blazers at home the night prior, many hoped that the Milwaukee Bucks would come out with some more intensity in their next matchup. With the newly retooled Indiana Pacers coming to town, the Bucks had a great test in front of them, which they thankfully passed as they did appear more motivated straight away in this one.

While they exchanged leads early on, the Bucks were seemingly in control of this matchup from start to finish. Despite cutting it close on several occasions, the Pacers never claimed a lead over the final two and a half quarters, which helped the Bucks secure a 128-119 victory on their home floor to snap a two-game losing streak. As they continued their dominance over Central Division opponents, let us take a closer look at three takeaways from the contest.

Following turnover-plagued performances the night before, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday bounced back for the Milwaukee Bucks

A significant reason why the Bucks fell to the Trail Blazers on Monday was the poor performances from Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday. While their shooting was hit or miss, it was their turnovers that truly hindered Milwaukee’s success, as the pair tallied 11 of Milwaukee’s 13 turnovers. It goes without saying that the defending champs would need better performances and ball security from the duo, which is precisely what they got against the Pacers.

Middleton tallied 19 points on an incredibly efficient 58.3 percent shooting while Holiday added in 14 points on 50 percent shooting, but what stood out the most was their facilitating.

This duo handed out eight assists apiece as both Middleton and Holiday made sure to get their teammates involved all night. Surprisingly, despite tallying 16 of Milwaukee’s 28 total assists, the pair accounted for just two of their 13 turnovers in the game. Both of those turnovers came from Holiday and some rather odd decision-making, but still, it is a significant improvement from the seven turnovers he totaled versus the Blazers the night before. Seeing Middleton go an entire game without tallying a turnover was a welcoming sight, given how much he has struggled to handle the basketball this season.

Ball security such as this is just what the Bucks will need from this duo moving forward, and last night’s game certainly provided optimism in that regard.