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Rick Carlisle and the Indiana Pacers took a commanding 3-1 first-round series lead with a dominant 129-103 road victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night.
After the win, Rick Carlisle praised his team, saying, “We're the kind of team that needs a lot of heroes,” referencing their collective spirit. He also highlighted their improved ball movement, noting, “We had our second-most isolations of the season in Game 3. That's just not us. We moved it much better tonight.”
uck led the way with 23 points as one of eight Pacers to score in double digits. Andrew Nembhard added 20 points, while Tyrese Haliburton contributed 17 points, 15 assists, and eight rebounds. T.J. McConnell chipped in 15 points, Aaron Nesmith scored 14, Obi Toppin added 13, and both Pascal Siakam and Jarace Walker finished with 12 points each for the fourth-seeded Pacers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo posted 28 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists for the fifth-seeded Bucks. Kevin Porter Jr. contributed 23 points, while Bobby Portis added 14 points off the bench for Milwaukee.
Kyle Kuzma struggled once again in the series, scoring just three points on 1-of-6 shooting.
Rick Carlisle's Pacers never trailed, shooting an impressive 60.2 percent from the field, including 18 of 39 from beyond the arc. They also tallied 36 assists on 50 made baskets.
The Bucks conceded when they pulled Antetokounmpo with 4:44 remaining and Indiana leading by 22. Milwaukee star Damian Lillard also left midway through the first quarter due to a potentially serious lower left leg injury.
The Pacers cruising over the Damian Lillard-less Bucks
After getting hurt, Lillard dropped to the floor, clutching his leg and unable to rise. He exited the game with 5:57 left in the first quarter, finishing without points, recording two assists, and grabbing two rebounds. This was Lillard's third game since returning from a blood clot in his right leg.
“I've seen injuries deflate teams, but tonight, that one hurt,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said in his post-game interview. “I thought our guys tried, but it was tough. … My job over the next 48 hours or whatever we have is to get us upright again, try to win one game in Indiana and get it back here.
The Bucks shot 41.6 percent from the field, including 15 of 37 from long range. Indiana, however, dominated the third quarter, shooting a remarkable 68.2 percent (15 of 22) from the floor and expanding their halftime lead of 11 to 101-84. Antetokounmpo tallied 18 points in the quarter for Milwaukee.
Two nights after squandering a 10-point halftime lead in a 117-101 loss at Milwaukee, the Pacers responded with a dominant win. They secured the victory despite being without Bennedict Mathurin, who was sidelined with an abdominal bruise.
The Pacers, who eliminated Milwaukee 4-2 in last year's first round, can send the Bucks home once again with a win in Game 5 on Tuesday in Indianapolis. The Bucks have now dropped eight consecutive road playoff games, with the last five of those losses coming at the hands of Indiana.
