Facing elimination, the Milwaukee Bucks had to come out with some semblance of pride against the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 to keep this series going.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard both still out of the lineup due to injuries, it wouldn't be easy for Milwaukee to pull this one out. Without his top two players, Doc Rivers has been forced to dig deep into his bag of coaching tricks, and Game 5 would be no different. With their backs against the wall, the Bucks had to do whatever it took to stay alive.
They didn't come out of the gates guns blazing, falling into a 10-point hole toward the end of the first period after a hot start by Indiana. However, the Bucks did not fall victim to their slow start, heating up in the second quarter and beginning a rally. After taking the lead midway through the second quarter, the Milwaukee Bucks held onto it the rest of the way.
Backed by a fiery Fiserv Forum crowd, the Bucks became the first team in NBA history to win a playoff game despite not having their top two scorers from the regular season, per Matt Williams of ESPN. It was a tremendous showcase of what the Bucks can do despite being shorthanded, and let's look at several studs and duds from the contest.
Stud - Patrick Beverley
Outside of a few plays occasionally, it has been a rather quiet series for Patrick Beverley despite him being a starter. That all changed on Tuesday night with one of his most complete games in a Bucks jersey to date, doing a bit of everything for Milwaukee to help them secure the W.
Beverley shouldered more responsibility in the scoring department, putting up 13 points while hitting four of his seven shots. He upped his aggressiveness with the ball, earning five free throw attempts, the second most on the entire squad. The guard clocked 12 of his 13 points in the second quarter, helping fuel a massive run by the Milwaukee Bucks to help them capture the lead.
Spinning and-one for Pat Bev! pic.twitter.com/ZJz4LXKvCa
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) May 1, 2024
Yet, his impact didn't stop there. When he cooled down scoring-wise, Beverley utilized his passing skills to his advantage, having dished out 12 assists. Per StatMuse, it was the sixth double-double Beverley has notched in his 70 career NBA Playoff appearances to date, and it came at a big time for the Milwaukee Bucks.
The guard also brought his trademark defense, hounding Pacers players at every turn. Active hands helped him snatch two steals, and the 6-foot-2 guard even got up for a big block on T.J. McConnell. Given just how easily the Pacers have been scoring the basketball this series, the Bucks needed their defensive-minded guard to make his mark.
All in all, hats off to Patrick Beverley for delivering a stat-sheet-stuffing performance to help keep the Milwaukee Bucks alive.