The Milwaukee Bucks looked like they were at the end of their playoff rope when they entered Game 5 of their first-round series down 3-1 against the Indiana Pacers. They looked dead to rights in Game 4 as they struggled to muster much of a fight in the second half against the Pacers, but in front of a bustling Fiserv Forum crowd, the Bucks took a dominant 115-92 victory, thanks in large part to stellar performances from Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis, and even Patrick Beverley.

Not too many fans gave the Bucks much of a chance heading into Game 5. After all, they were without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard — two members of the NBA's Top 75 club who are still at or near the top of their respective games. But Middleton carried the Bucks on his back, and as a result, Milwaukee made history that no other team throughout the NBA's existence has reached.

According to Matt Williams, research producer for ESPN, via Malika Andrews, the Bucks became the first team ever to win a playoff game while two of their top two scorers from the regular season were on the shelf due to injury.

This is a testament to how hard the Bucks fought and how well they managed to stifle the Pacers despite missing two crucial members of the team. It helped, of course, that the Bucks were in front of their home crowd, as role players tend to perform better in front of a friendly environment. But this should not take away from how admirably they dealt with adversity.

Did the Bucks buy enough time?

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are dealing with leg injuries, with Antetokounmpo nursing a calf strain and Lillard dealing with a knock to his Achilles. It's unclear how severe the injuries they're dealing with are, but according to Bucks head coach Doc Rivers, both of them are inching closer to a return, which will be music to every Wisconsinite's ear.

The foundation is there for the Bucks to pull off the unthinkable; it seems as though they stumbled upon a worthwhile defensive gameplan as they held the Pacers to 92 points. There wasn't even much three-point variance at work in Game 5. The Bucks made 11-29 from deep, while the Pacers shot 12-38, so it's not like Milwaukee was scorching hot from deep the way the Pacers were in Game 4.

The Bucks displayed solid off-ball movement, getting to the paint often against a Pacers team that's a bit thin when it comes to defending on the perimeter. If Giannis Antetokounmpo returns, the pressure the Bucks can put on the Pacers' paint will be incredible. Antetokounmpo also shores up the team's defense.

And on the road, the Bucks will need a killer of Damian Lillard's ilk as they look to pull off a 3-1 comeback to turn the dominant narrative of Doc Rivers' career on its head.

Khris Middleton, all the way back

It's rare for any team to win without two of its top scorers because teams don't usually have a third scorer capable of picking up the slack against a difficult opponent. But Khris Middleton is back in All-Star form after enduring two seasons full of tumult.

Middleton has averaged 15.1 points over the past two years, and yet here he is, through the first five games of the series, being the healthiest of the Bucks' stars. He's averaging 26.8 points. and he has been on point in nearly every facet of the ballgame. His playmaking has been top-notch, while his ability to make difficult shots remains ever present.

It'll be interesting if Khris Middleton can keep this level of play up even as he transitions into more of a third banana role when the Bucks' two top stars return from injury.