The Indiana Pacers entered Thursday night with a huge challenge in front of them in the form of the Milwaukee Bucks. Damian Lillard didn’t play, but Giannis Antetokounmpo alone is enough to give opponents fits.
But fresh off two wins over the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz, the Pacers walked into their tilt against the Bucks full of confidence, and it paid off in a big way.
Indiana jumped out to a huge lead in the first quarter, up by as many as 18 points early on. But the Bucks battled their way back throughout the game.
They had a chance to steal the game from the Pacers in the fourth, but a clutch shot from Tyrese Haliburton helped put the game away 126-124, bringing the Pacers’ record to 6-3 on the season.
Let’s take a look at three studs and two duds from the game, handing out a grade to each player.
Stud - Myles Turner
With Lillard out, two of the Bucks’ three best players on the court were Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez. Despite that, Myles Turner still found a way to shine.
He wasn’t able to slow down Antetokounmpo, a task that few players in the world are capable of, but he made up for his struggles in that area by excelling elsewhere.
Turner finished the game with 21 points, six rebounds, four assists, and one block while shooting 8-of-16 from the field and 4-of-9 from behind the three-point line.
His success on the offensive end is enough to earn him a spot on the stud list, but his problems when guarding Antetokounmpo, who finished with an absurd 54 points and 12 rebounds, prevent him from getting a super high grade.
Grade: B
Even after a big showing like this it's never a guaranteed win to back the Pacers, but your $200 bonus on BetMGM is fully guaranteed! Just bet $10 on the Pacers' next game (after signing up through the exclusive 8 Points, 9 Seconds link below) and whether your bet wins or loses you'll automatically unlock the full $200 bonus! Don't miss out, sign up for BetMGM now!