Bucks – Pacers 128-119: Antetokunbo returns with 50 points, epic and majestic

The 59th game of the regular season was… another game for most Bucks basketball players. Not for Giannis Antitokoumbo, who came back from a one-game absence and shattered the Pacers’ dreams like a rollercoaster ride. The Milwaukee team edged out Indianapolis 128-119 thanks to another great performance from their leader, the night George Hill, Wesley Matthews, Pat Conaton, Brooke Lopez, the “new” DiAndre Babri and Grayson Allen didn’t play. who injured his left hip in the third third.

The champions went up to 36-23 (20-10 home and 16-13 away) in their second of six straight games at the Fiserv Forum. The Greek freak was epic, he was majestic, he was unstoppable like there was no opponent against him. He finished the game with 50 points from 15/18 twos, 2/3 tres and 14/18 shots, amassed 14 rebounds, shared 4 assists, put down every possible and unlikely shot, close-up, center, long range , staying grounded for 36 minutes was just magical. Middleton with 19 points and 8 assists and Holiday with 14 points and also 8 assists followed in a night that had a real protagonist, the top players in the NBA.

At 19-40 the Pacers fell who were combative, tough, determined, stayed close in the first half, believed in themselves, took on the challenge with enthusiasm and lacked Malcolm Brockton, Chris Duarte, Miles Turner, A Jackson, TJ Warren, TJ Jay McConnell and of course without Ricky Rubio. Incredible night for Buddy Hild, who needed such an explosive performance (36 points, 6/8 two points, 8/12 three points), with his team trashing 11 of 19 shots but holding 32 assists for the 12 errors, that he made.

Next game for the Bucks and last before the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend is with the Sixers in Milwaukee (early Friday morning at 3:30 a.m.).

The race

Middleton, John and Portis hit two baskets and the Bucks came on impressively, taking a small lead, facing a great Halibarton who didn’t shoot on his first pass of the game and Antetokunbo hit 10 quick points (3/4 two points , 1/1 three points, 1/2 shots) were no problem for the Pacers. The 34-27 of the season seemed and was small from the moment the visitors scored 40.9% against the home side’s 59.1%, with Sykes giving two crucial three-pointers to keep the Indians on and not lose touch early .

Tristan Thompson also did a lot of damage to the Bucks defense early in the second half, with Hild and Hallibarton scoring their first threes and making it 43-41 in the 16th (46-48). ). It was the hosts’ first good breakout as Wigington scored two threes, John cleaned up his teammates’ mistakes and 60-50 restored order and logic to the Fiserv forum. Still, something held the bucks back. The halftime +6 was small from the moment the deer shot at 61%, but at least we saw a tight game where Giannis (18 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists) and Hild (17 points) stood out.

The picture of the game didn’t change early in the second half as the Bucks couldn’t escape and felt safe. Holiday and Middleton stuck, John was the only reliable scorer, the Pacers believed in their strength the longer they survived, and the 99-94 of the third period gave Antetokunbo a 31 in 27 minutes! The hosts also lost to Grayson Allen midway through the 12 minutes and somehow found themselves in a challenging situation as they now had to face their opponent’s enthusiasm.

Everything was judged when Antetokunbo simply said: “I’ll take it myself“And he did. Literally. He scored in rebounds, with three points, with shots, with a frontal attack for 110-97 at 7:40 before the final, a point at which the game was essentially judged to get out of this one return to the situation and in fact they did not succeed.

THE TWELVE MINUTES: 34-27, 69-63, 99-94, 128-119

MILGUOKI BUKS (Mike Budenholzer): Middleton 19 (6/8 two points, 1/4 three points, 4/4 shots, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, no errors), Giannis Antetokounbo 50 (15/18 two points, 2/3 three points , 14/18 shots, 14 rebounds, 4 assists), Portis 6 (3/9 two points, 0/5 three points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals), Allen 3 (1), Holiday 14 (1 three points , 3 rebounds, 8 assists), Ibaka 9 (2/2 two points, 1/1 three points, 2/3 shots, 5 rebounds), Nuora 9 (1), Wigington 12 (3/6 three points), Mamukelasvili 6 (3/3 two points), Thanasis Antetokunbo

Indiana Peser (Rick Cailley): Bricet 6 (2/8 shots), Smith 11 (3 threes, 7 rebounds, 3 assists), Bitaje 12 (4/6 two points, 4/8 shots, 6 rebounds, 4 assists), Hild 36 (6/8 two points, 8/12 three points), Hallibarton 17 (3 three points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals), Stevenson 8 (4 rebounds, 4 assists), Washington, Sykes 10 (2 three points, 5 assists), Taylor 10 (5/6 two points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists), Thompson 9

Milwaukee Bucks team stats: 38/57 two points, 10/29 three points, 22/30 shots, 54 rebounds, 28 assists, 7 steals, 13 errors, 17 fouls

Indiana Pacers team stats: 30/52 two points, 17/41 three points, 8/19 shots, 49 rebounds, 32 assists, 8 steals, 2 blocks, 12 errors, 23 fouls