Pacers let go of rope in Game 3, give life to Bucks
The Pacers were nowhere near playing a strong 48 minutes in Game 3 and the Bucks found their rhythm in the second half to shake up the series.
Game 3, on the road, was going quite well for the Pacers. For 24 minutes and 30 seconds, it appeared the Pacers may be able to put their round one series with the Bucks on ice, after surviving a poor shooting half to lead by 10 points and then pushing that lead to 12 on their first possession of the third quarter.
Instead the Pacers had a third quarter meltdown when they not only surrendered that 12-point lead, but saw the Bucks take control of the game and flip the lead in their favor on 11 points heading to winning time. A classic case of the Pacers letting go of the rope instead of digging in and pulling hard together to hold their ground.
After the Pacers buckled, the Bucks enjoyed control of the game in front of a revived Fiserv Forum crowd to win the second half 70-44, hold serve with a home court win and put the series back up for grabs.
At the outset of the series, concerns about Gary Trent Jr. and Kevin Porter Jr. supporting Giannis Antetokounmpo were top of mind. Neither got going off the bench in the first two games, but Doc Rivers finally made a big adjustment and added Trent Jr. to the starting lineup. In the second half, the feisty guard rewarded the move by throwing flames from behind the arc.
GTJ followed up a 2 for 4 shooting effort from 3-land in the first half with a 7 for 8 effort in the second half to finish with 37 points which matched Giannis’ 37 points and 12 rebounds. Far too much for the Pacers to handle with just Pascal Siakam (28 points) and Aaron Nesmith (18 points) leading the way.
Tyrese Haliburton struggled to get his offense going, finishing with 14 points on 11 shots, but a couple of too little, too late threes bolstered those numbers. Myles Turner struggled even worse, making just on field goal and none of his 6 3PAs to finish with 6 points and 4 turnovers.
It appeared that Carlisle may shorten his rotation to nine but then added a tenth in the second quarter, playing Ben Sheppard instead of Jarace Walker. With the third quarter meltdown, nothing of substance can be taken from the rotations. However, considering the starters didn’t play heavy minutes, it may be time to lean on that group for more minutes in Game 4 as they did last year in the playoffs.
That assumes the Pacers bounce back with a spirited effort that will last closer to 48 minutes instead of 24.5 minutes. Benn Mathurin lost his cool a bit as things went sideways in the second half and is now on the injury list as questionable. Would assume he will try to give it a go.
Regardless of who is on the court, the Pacers have to tighten up their defensive execution and/or communication to avoid problems with switching and over helping that gave the Bucks good shots after extra passes. Wouldn’t hurt if they had a solid, not exceptional (although that would be fine, too) shooting night from behind the arc.
With fresh life breathed into their playoff lungs, the Bucks should be ready to bring the noise on Sunday night along with their fan base. The Pacers made a mess on Friday and now they have to try to clean it up and reclaim control of the series.
Game 4: Pacers vs. Bucks
Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
When: Sunday, Apr. 27, 2025, 9:30 p.m. ET
TV: TNT/FanDuel Sports Network
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan
Odds: Pacers +4.5
Projected Starters
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner
Bucks: Damian Lillard, Gary Trent Jr., Kyle Kuzma, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez
Injuries
Pacers: Bennedict Mathurin (abdominal contusion) - questionable, Isaiah Jackson (Achilles) - out
Bucks: Tyler Smith (ankle) - questionable