The Bucks continue to improve the sensations with which they started the course and recovering positions. The reigning champions are now fourth in the Eastern Conference after achieving their seventh consecutive win in their visit to Indiana, where they defeated the Pacers 100-118. Thus, they managed to improve their balance to reach 13-8, positioning themselves much closer to the high zone and putting aside the problems that made them start at the bottom of the table.
In this low zone, specifically in 13th position, are the Pacers, who managed to keep up with Budenholzer’s men in the first half but fell easily after the break. Hand in hand with its Big 3, Milwaukee was gaining in offensive fluidity in the third quarter, increasing its advantage more and more until it reached 19 points (72-91), and already in the fourth period it exceeded twenty to leave the crash very on track (87-109). Indiana was not even able to feint with the comeback, giving a placid finish to the visitors.
These were led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who does not seem to tire of demonstrating his enormous efficiency night after night. The forward finished as the top scorer with 26 points after signing a 10/15 shooting from the field, exercising his dominance especially in the paint but also adding several baskets from middle distance. In addition, he took advantage of his size to capture 13 rebounds, signing a new double-double and captaining the victory of his team.
Jrue Holiday, with 23 points, was his best squire, as well as one of the fundamental men in the third quarter part that definitively broke the clash. Bobby Portis, at 15, was third in scoring, followed by 14 by both Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton.
“We are playing collectively and everyone is contributing,” said Holiday. It’s being a lot of fun. Overcoming the obstacles that we encountered last year was something very big, and now we know that we can activate at any time.
The Wisconsin victory was also based on their good defensive work, specifically on Domantas Sabonis, whom they practically annulled and left in their worst scoring of the season by allowing them to add only 4 points with 1/8 shooting. Caris LeVert and Malcolm Brogdon, with 23 and 16 points respectively, were the offensive reference for the Indianapolis team, but their contribution was not enough to prevail over the champions on a night that, as Rick Carlisle acknowledged, was “very difficult.”
(Cover photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)