Gary Trent Jr. just had the game of his life, and the Milwaukee Bucks needed every bit of those points to get a much-needed victory.
He ended Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers with 37 points, three rebounds and four steals
while shooting 69 percent from the field. The biggest stat line was that he went 9-of-12 from three. That is tied for the most 3-pointers made in franchise history. He tied Ray Allen’s record when he hit that many in Game 6 of the 2001 Conference Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers.
That was not only season highs for Trent, but he also recorded his playoff career high for points, 3-pointers made and steals. The Bucks were desperately looking for a spark from someone other than Giannis Antetokounmpo, and he delivered with his greatest playoff performance of his career. He even went toe-to-toe with Giannis and recorded the same number of points. In the end, they became the first pair of teammates to each score 37 points or more in a playoff game with the Bucks.
Gary Trent Jr. made even more playoff history with the Bucks
There are nights when Trent can go toe-to-toe with the league’s best. His Game 3 performance proves that he can light up the scoreboard as well as any player. He has currently made the most threes in a playoff game so far. His four steals are the second most. And his 37 points are tied for the third most in the 2025 postseason.
From a historical standpoint, he had a performance that can only be compared to one player. This is only the second time in playoff history that a player has posted over nine 3-pointers and four steals. That was Klay Thompson in Game 6 of the 2018 conference finals series against the Houston Rockets. It was those types of games that made the Warriors unbeatable during that era. You were so worried about containing Steph Curry and Kevin Durant; then there was Game 6 Klay, who could have a monster performance on both ends of the floor.
Gary Trent Jr. had one of the best Klay Thompson impressions that we’ve seen in a while. What made this game so special wasn’t the fact that he had a spectacular shooting display, but he also exerted so much energy on the defensive end. He contributed to the Pacers’ shooting an abysmal 32 percent from the three and also made them pay with all the attention Giannis and Damian Lillard force on the opposition. It was so reminiscent of Curry’s long-lost splash brother.
He can be the Bucks’ X factor moving forward
This is a type of game that you expect from one of the team’s star players, but it would be unreasonable to expect something like that from your team’s role player. That’s especially the case when we’re dealing with a must-win playoff game. But he proved that he can be much more than just a player who can provide instant offense from the bench. It’s obvious at this point that he is overqualified for that role.
In his last start, which was against the New Orleans Pelicans on April 6, he scored his season-high 29 points on 59 percent shooting. He simply picked up where he left off in this one. It is time for Doc Rivers to give him the permanent starting role.
His ceiling can be as high as being the third scoring option behind future Hall-of-Famers Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. The playoffs are where players show their true colors. He was not afraid of the moment. He was aggressive. And that’s exactly what they need if the Milwaukee Bucks want to take control of the series.
The numbers say he’s more than capable of taking on this role. There were only 10 players this season who averaged over 40 percent shooting from the three while attempting over six 3-point field goal attempts. He was nearly the 11th player, as he averaged 5.9 attempts on 41.6 percent shooting. The numbers say they have one of the most efficient volume shooters in the league. This is a weapon that they need to take full advantage of.
Their priority needs to be to find a way to get him going. When he does, this team is very tough to stop. And when Damian Lillard starts to find his rhythm, then they give themselves a legitimate chance to compete. There can be other nights where he looks like Klay Thompson’s clone. It will certainly be needed if they want to tie the series up.