The Milwaukee Bucks - Indiana Pacers rivalry took another twist on Saturday night with the Bucks claiming revenge from the last meeting, running out 126-119 winners.
On the road in Indiana earlier in the week, the Pacers won 115-114, thanks to a crushingTyrese Haliburton 4-point play. After a three-game skid, the Bucks have now won back-to-back games. Saturday's win will do wonders heading into the postseason, giving Milwaukee the tiebreaker over Indiana as they fight for positioning in the standings.
Milwaukee made it 3-1 win in the season matchups thanks to 34 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard adding 25 of his own. It wasn't just those two the Bucks had to lean on, as four other players added double-digit points, with one lineup really standing out in the third quarter.
Bucks' lineup ended the third quarter hot, and it should be a staple
With 4:44 left in the third quarter and the Bucks up 84-80, Doc Rivers went with a lineup of Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, Giannis and Jericho Sims. This really paid off and matched the energy and athleticism of the Pacers. The quarter ended with the Bucks up 100-82. That's a 16-2 run in the Milwaukee Bucks' favor, and it was clear they had something going.
All five players are able to switch and stay in front of their man, in particular Sims. The big man switched onto Haliburton and we are so used to seeing those mismatches go against the Bucks, but the guard missed a three guarded by Sims. Offensively it also worked, seeing the Bucks able to force switches and Giannis or Sims scoring easily at the rim when guarded by smaller defenders.
Porter has been a huge addition for Milwaukee. His ability to score at all three levels was needed badly and he plays without fear of missing, which has its cons, but on a team that plays slow often, a young, hungry guard that just wants to score is what they needed. He scored 16 off the bench, with six rebounds and four assists, giving the Milwaukee Bucks a boost.
Center Brook Lopez still had a solid game with 10 points on 80 percent shooting, but it is clear how different the Bucks look with Giannis or Sims at the five. Just the athleticism and defensive scheme make things so much easier, and they don't have to worry about Lopez being drawn out to the perimeter and having to stick with a guard.
Moving forward, it gives the Milwaukee Bucks a solid lineup that they can use and compete with younger teams that were such a problem in recent seasons. There is flexibility with the lineup too, both Sims and Giannis showed great awareness to allow each other space at the rim, but with both not being 3-point shooters, the Bucks can tweak it slightly if needed.
The gauntlet continues for the Bucks, with them hosting the OKC Thunder on Sunday night before heading West for a tough five-game stretch against the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets. During that time, we will hopefully see more of these lineups and using the new-found athleticism at the trade deadline to their advantage.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks news and analysis.