Giannis Antetokounmpo posts triple-double to lead Milwaukee Bucks past Indiana Pacers
Thursday 14 February 2019 06:22, UK
Giannis Antetokounmpo produced 33 points, 19 rebounds and 11 assists for his fifth triple-double of the season as the Milwaukee Bucks rallied for a 106-97 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis on Thursday night.
Malcolm Brogdon scored 17 points and Khris Middleton added 15 as Milwaukee won for the 14th time in their past 16 games. George Hill had 12 points and Ersan Ilyasova tallied 11 for the Bucks, who own the best record (43-14) in the NBA heading into the All-Star break.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 20 points for the Pacers, who had a six-game winning streak halted. Domantas Sabonis recorded 14 points and nine rebounds, Darren Collison had 14 points and seven assists, Myles Turner scored 11 points and Tyreke Evans had 10.
Milwaukee connected on 44.2 percent of their shots, including 9-of-31 from three-point range. The Bucks held a 52-43 rebounding edge. The Pacers made 41.6 per cent of their shots and were 10 of 27 from long range.
Milwaukee recovered from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit en route to posting their seventh straight road win.
Thaddeus Young hit a three-pointer to give the Pacers a 95-93 lead with 4:42 left. Antetokounmpo hit a tying jumper with 3:51 remaining, and the Bucks moved ahead at 97-95 when Antetokounmpo recorded his 10th assist by feeding a wide-open Ilyasova for a lay-up with 2:36 left.
Middleton followed with a three-pointer and Antetokounmpo hit four straight free throws to make it 104-95 with 54.6 seconds left as Milwaukee closed it out.
The Pacers led 79-76 entering the fourth quarter before scoring the initial seven points of the final stanza. Evans knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 86-76 with 9:37 remaining.
Milwaukee responded with a 9-2 push with Middleton scoring the final five to trim Indiana's lead to 88-85 with 7:23 left.
The Bucks took a 91-90 lead on Brogdon's basket with 5:56 remaining.
Indiana trailed 55-47 at halftime before opening the third quarter with a 12-3 burst to take a one-point lead.
Later in the quarter, Wesley Matthews and Bogdanovic buried back-to-back triples to give the Pacers a 69-63 lead with 4:32 remaining.
Antetokounmpo had 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the first half as the Bucks led by eight at the break. Antetokounmpo scored 13 first-quarter points - half his club's total - as Milwaukee built a 26-18 advantage.
