The Indiana Pacers are now on a three-game losing streak after a rout in the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies. Things will not get any easier for the shorthanded squad though, as they are on deck to commence a four-game roadtrip on Monday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Quite frankly, Indiana’s chances of snagging a dub in front of the Bucks crowd are slim, especially with Giannis Antetokounmpo expected to play in this one. Overall, Milwaukee has won eight straight contests against the Pacers, with the latter’s last win coming all the way back to February 2020.
Here are three storylines to watch as the Pacers attempt to stun the Bucks on the road and snap their losing skid.
3 storylines to watch as the Indiana Pacers hope to snap losing skid against the Milwaukee Bucks
1. Size matters…
New York, Atlanta, Memphis. Indiana has been the most undersized team in the league this season for the most part, but the last three games have been particularly jarring on the size department.
Well, Milwaukee will be their toughest challenge yet. With Myles Turner possibly sitting this one out again, the Bucks’ frontcourt of Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis could very well have a feast inside. The Pacers put up a good fight against the tall-ball Grizzlies, but if they fail to assert their pace for 48 minutes, the hosts will have the edge all night long. Keeping up with Milwaukee on the boards, not necessarily beating them, will give them a puncher’s chance at an upset.
2. Step up, young ‘Cer!
With Tyrese Haliburton still sidelined, the Pacers will continue to look into Andrew Nembhard to shoulder playmaking duties. However, things haven’t been as smooth yet for the rookie point guard, as he has struggled so far in the last two games. If they want to at least go toe-to-toe with a contending team like the Bucks, it is imperative that Nembhard finds his groove, either scoring-wise, or with distributing the rock.
A trek awaits him though, as opposite to him will be Jrue Holiday, arguably the best perimeter defender in all of basketball. Still, Nembhard has already show that he is capable of exploding on a given night before, and this should be a very good test for the rookie floor general.
3. Keep the surprises coming.
The element of surprise will have to come from Indiana’s side in this matchup. Whether it’s a bench player exploding for a career-high in scoring, or a role player or two combining for, well, 50 points, the Indiana Pacers have to find lightning in a bottle in an unexpected way to make things interesting for the Bucks.
The last game against Memphis had Chris Duarte finally breaking out of his slump. This time around, maybe we can see some of the less heralded players go out and show Milwaukee’s coaching staff that they should, perhaps, expand their scouting report for next time. That’s certainly far from a good blueprint for winning, but hey, a shorthanded squad can only do so much against a contender with a skeleton lineup!
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