Myles Turner got the Pacers off to a great start in the second half with a thunderous dunk over Giannis Antetokounmpo that got the Pacers’ bench up of its feet and halfway onto the court. Coming down the floor in semi-transition, Turner caught a pass from Tyrese Haliburton with a full head of steam and rocked the rim.
Turner is up to 16 points on the night on 6 of 8 from the field in a big bounce-back performance after a rough Game 3.
With the Bucks headed to halftime trailing the Pacers 63-52, the initial prognosis on Damian Lillard’s injury is not good as the nine-time All-Star is feared to have suffered a torn Achilles tendon.
Damian Lillard injury: Bucks star feared to have torn Achilles in Game 4 vs. Pacers, per report
In the middle of the first quarter of Game 4 between the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers on Sunday night, Damian Lillard collapsed while chasing an offensive rebound and immediately grabbed for his left calf and Achilles tendon area. He was eventually helped off the court and could not put any weight on his left leg.
Lillard had been sidelined for over a month with a blood clot in his right calf, but returned to action in Game 2. He has not shot the ball well since returning — 6 of 25 from the field — but his presence has certainly made a difference. The Bucks won Game 3 to close the series gap to 2-1, and are trying to tie things up in Game 4.
That task will become far more difficult if Lillard cannot return.
Trent’s nine 3-pointers in Milwaukee’s Game 3 win over the Pacers tied Ray Allen’s franchise playoff record.
The Milwaukee Bucks aren’t dead yet. After dropping the first two games of their first-round series with the Indiana Pacers, the Bucks rallied for a come-from-behind victory in Game 3 to make the series 2-1. The Bucks trailed by as many as 12, but outscored the Pacers by 26 in the second half to pull away for a comfortable win.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was unstoppable again, and finished with 37 points, 12 rebounds and six assists on 14 of 19 from the field, and this time he finally got some help. Gary Trent Jr., who was moved into the starting lineup, exploded for a playoff career-high 37 points of his own on an incredible 9 of 12 from 3-point range.
Pascal Siakam had 28 points in defeat for the Pacers, who shot just 43.7% from the field in the game.
A pivotal Game 4 is set for Sunday night in Milwaukee. Will the Pacers extend their lead to 3-1? Or will the Bucks even things up?
Neither team has been able to get much consistent offense going in the first half this evening, but the Pacers did find some life late in the second quarter to build a 10-point lead at the break. They have taken a double-digit lead in the first half of all three games in this series.
Aaron Nesmith is leading the way in the scoring department for the Pacers with 15 points, while Pascal Siakam has gone for 13. Those two are a combined 12 of 18 from the field, while the rest of the Pacers are 9 of 32.
As per usual, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been leading the way for the Bucks. He’s up to 17 points, eight rebounds and two assists on 7 of 9 from the field, but Gary Trent Jr. (13 points) is the only other player in double figures. The Bucks are shooting 18 of 48 from the field as a team, including 4 of 23 from downtown.
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The Indiana Pacers have taken a 2-0 lead in their first-round series after holding off a late comeback attempt from the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
It was all Pacers early on, as they picked up right where they left off in Game 1. They built a 15-point lead in the first quarter and cruised through the first 43 minutes or so. They were up by that margin late in the fourth quarter when the Bucks suddenly ripped off a 13-0 run to briefly cut the deficit to two points.
That would be as close as the Bucks got, however, as Pascal Siakam responded with a 3-pointer, and Andrew Nembhard added another a few possessions later that essentially ended the game.
Siakam went for 24 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals in another big performance against the Bucks, while Tyrese Haliburton led the way as a playmaker with 21 points and 12 assists. As a team, the Pacers knocked down 16 3-pointers and shot a perfect 19 of 19 from the free-throw line.
Damian Lillard started in his return from a blood clot, and put up 14 points and seven assists, but shot 4 of 13 from the field. Giannis Antetokounmpo had another monster night in defeat with 34 points, 18 rebounds and seven assists. Again, though, it was not enough.
Game 3 is set for Friday night in Milwaukee.
The Pacers picked up right where they left off in Game 1 and have led the entire way tonight in Game 2. Their biggest lead was 15 at multiple points, but the Bucks have closed the gap a bit heading into the break.
Tyrese Haliburton has been running the show for the Pacers. He’s up to 16 points and seven assists already, and has either scored or created on 13 of their 25 made field goals. Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin are also in double figures for the Pacers, who are shooting 50% from the field.
Damian Lillard is back for the Bucks and has chipped in 11 points, though he’s struggled at times on the other end of the floor.
Damian Lillard started Game 2, making his long-awaited return from a blood clot in his calf that had kept him sidelined since March 18. Lillard played the first 9:40 of the game, and while it took him a while to find a rhythm, he knocked down a few shots to get to six points.
The Bucks have trailed by double digits most of the night, but Lillard’s return is still a welcome sign.
Damian Lillard injury update: Bucks star (blood clot) returns to play in Game 2 vs. Pacers
The Pacers have taken a 1-0 lead in their first-round series with the Bucks thanks to a comfortable 19-point win in Game 1 on Saturday afternoon.
The Bucks made things somewhat interesting in the fourth quarter by cutting a 28-point deficit down to 12 at one point, but the Pacers were never in danger of actually losing. It will be interesting, though, to see if some of the success the Bucks had with their small-ball approach in the fourth is replicable as the series goes along.
Pascal Siakam had 25 points to lead the way for the Pacers in the scoring department, but it was a true team effort as they had six players in double figures and nine players with at least six points. Even with a cold stretch in the fourth quarter, the Pacers shot 51.9% from the field.
If there’s any good news for the Bucks, it’s that Damian Lillard could be back as soon as Game 2, per CBS Sports’ Bill Reiter. Lillard hasn’t played since mid-March due to a blood clot, but has been cleared to resume basketball activities and is ramping up toward a return. At worst, Lillard is expected to be back by Game 3.
It’s been all Pacers in the first half. They’re getting whatever they want on the offensive end and closed the first half on an extended 22-7 run to pull away. It’s going to be very difficult for the Bucks to stage a second-half comeback without Damian Lillard. Giannis Antetokounmpo has 19 points on 7 of 11 from the field, but no one else on the Bucks has more than six points.
The Pacers, meanwhile, have three scorers in double figures, including Andrew Nembhard, who is leading the way with 15. They’re shooting 61% from the field overall, and are 13 of 16 (81.3%) in the paint. Myles Turner’s huge slam off a feed from Nembhard highlighted their rampant rim attack.
The Pacers have no answer for Giannis around the basket. The two-time MVP is 4 of 5 from the field, with all of his makes coming in the paint, and has already gotten to the free throw line for six free throws. He’s been a one-man show, though, accounting for 12 of the Bucks’ 19 points.
Damian Lillard will not play on Saturday in Game 1 of this series, but the Bucks could have him back in the lineup by Game 2 or 3, per Bill Reiter. Lillard has not played since March 18 due to a blood clot in his calf. He was able to make a “historic” recovery thanks to early detection and treatment.
His return will be a big boost for a Bucks team that has been devastated by injuries in the playoffs in recent years and is trying to get out of the first round for the first time since 2022.
Damian Lillard injury update: Bucks star (blood clot) expected to return in Game 2 or 3 vs. Pacers
