Pacers bounce back strong, roll past Bucks, now head to the 'House with chance to close out series
The Pacers were hot inside and out in Milwaukee on Sunday, while the Bucks had to absorb losing Damian Lillard to injury.
The Pacers showed up for Game 4 ready to make up for the mishap that was the second half of Game 3, with several key segments of the game that ended with the Pacers earning a wire-to-wire, 129-103 win to bring a 3-1 series lead back to the Fieldhouse for Game 5 on Tuesday evening.
Myles Turner set the bounce-back tone early, scoring 7 points in just over 3 minutes to eclipse his Game 3 offensive output and he was nowhere near done for the night. While Turner started strong, he also had the signature play of the game with a late transition finish, dunking on the run through Giannis Antetokounmpo. Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard hit early threes and joined Turner in jump starting the Pacers attack at both ends of the floor.
The energy and purpose the Pacers played with in the first half brought back memories of the blowout win in the Garden in Game 7 last season against the Knicks. But the Pacers weren’t fully able to knock out the Bucks early, even after Milwaukee had to digest a non-contact injury to Damian Lillard which ended his night. Further diagnosis is a torn Achilles for Lillard which is crushing, considering the earlier injuries he was dealing with leading up to the playoffs. Hopefully, his surgery and rehab have him back on the court ahead of schedule next year.
From a Pacers perspective, they had no emotional let down or exhale after Dame was carried off the court. The energy and execution remained strong and shots were falling from behind the arc. After taking an 11 point lead to the half, the Pacers added to the lead which seemed to bounce between 15 and 9 through most of the third quarter until a late sure by the Pacers sent them to winning time with a 17-point lead.
While the Bucks offense heated up after the half, the Pacers were able to hold them off by matching the buckets. Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker combined to make 7 of 9 3-balls and a few of those were ‘will killers’ for the Bucks, answering potential momentum building buckets that had the home team buzzing with hope. Walker was the sixth mane in this game with Bennedict Mathurin out and he handled the role quite well, playing 21 minutes and finishing with 12 points, 3 assists and 5 rebounds.
Pascal Siakam lead a strong team effort in ‘slowing down’ Giannis, keeping him in front and letting help arrive to provoke a pass from the big fella. Now, Giannis had 28 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists, but the Pacers were able to keep him in check in the first half when he just had 8 points and deferred to the defense.
TJ McConnel continues to struggle finding a defensive matchup he can handle, but offensively, he was able to provide some juice with 15 points on 10 shots along with 6 assists.
Speaking of assists, Tyrese Haliburton spent the early part of the game getting other going but eventually started scoring to help maintain the double-digit lead. While he had a week’s worth of turnovers (for him) with 5, Haliburton finished with 17 points, 15 assists and 8 rebounds. Not bad.
Haliburton also had to deal with the goofiness of Bobby Portis as the Bucks big man tried to engage several Pacers in various hijincks which earned him one of five technical fouls in the game.
Heading into Game 5, if the Pacers can establish a lead, again, there is no doubt Portis will push things to the edge or beyond trying to muck up the Pacers game plan on the court. Nesmith and Haliburton can’t seem to let that stuff go even with a double-digit lead. Toppin re-routed Haliburton in the second half with the Pacers in kill mode as he was heading to respond to some BS Portis was trying to start. Time, score and the big picture have to take precedent in those situations. Moreso in a potential close out game when any additional penalties for responding could leak into the next series. Just keep laughing and pointing to the scoreboard.
Of course, that only works if the Pacers are winning and if not, the situation will be far more serious at the Fieldhouse. Kevin Porter Jr. showed out in the Bucks second-half run, although Gary Trent Jr. struggled to get much going. With Dame out, both players still have the firepower to support a big night by Giannis to steal a win at the Fieldhouse. The Pacers can’t take anything for granted when Giannis is on the other side.
Bennedict Mathurin remains questionable after missing Game 4. No need to rush him back in this situation with a 3-1 lead in the series. Aaron Nesmith is on the injury list, although as probable with a lower back bruise sustained on his highlight block of a Portis transition layup attempt. The monster effort delivered a monster play that turned into a Haliburton three-point play at the other end, one of several answers the Pacers had for the Bucks when they tried to mount a rally.
As entertaining as this series has been, the NBA cares not, giving Game 5 a 6 p.m. ET tip off time on NBA TV. At least, the Pacers broadcast team will also have the call on FanDuel Sports Network. None of that matters though, as long as the Pacers show up ready to go for the fill and end the series without giving the Bucks any life. 48 minutes like they delivered in Game 4 will do the trick.
Game 5: Pacers vs. Bucks
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
When: Tuesday, Apr. 29, 2025, 6:00 p.m. ET
TV: NBA TV/FanDuel Sports Network
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan
Odds: Pacers -7.5
Projected Starters
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner
Bucks: Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., Kyle Kuzma, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez
Injuries
Pacers: Aaron Nesmith (back) - probable, Bennedict Mathurin (abdominal contusion) - questionable, Isaiah Jackson (Achilles) - out
Bucks: Tyler Smith (ankle) - questionable, Damian Lillard (Achilles) - out