The Milwaukee Bucks needed a win and got exactly that, knocking off the Indiana Pacers with ease by a score of 115-92. In case you missed our Rapid Recap, you can check it out here.
Game Summary
Khris Middleton got going with some quick baskets to kick this one off, but the Pacers were right there to match him. The porous defense from Game 4 for the Bucks bled over into this one, with Indiana going off for 31 points in the opening frame. They did so by seven points from Myles Turner and six off the bench from Ben Sheppard.
A scoring drought plagued Indiana to begin the second, leaving the door open for Milwaukee to step in. Indiana crafted out just 17 points in the quarter while Milwaukee vaulted in front due to sparks from Patrick Beverley. At intermission, the Bucks held a 53-48 lead.
With the snap of the finger, the Bucks rattled off a run to begin the third that gave them a double-digit lead. Khris Middleton continued to cook, further padding Milwaukee’s lead more and more. Indiana couldn’t match the energy from the Bucks, allowing them to race out to an 87-67 advantage going into the fourth.
There wasn’t anything left in the tank for the Pacers at this point. Milwaukee would seal up the victory in the fourth, not allowing any chance for an Indiana comeback. When the final horn sounded, the Bucks earned a lopsided 115-92 victory, forcing a Game 6 in Indianapolis tomorrow night.
Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis led the way for Milwaukee, with each of them pouring in 29 points apiece. Malik Beasley had a big bounce back performance with 18 points and Patrick Beverley was impactful with 13 points and 12 assists.
No Indiana Pacer scored 20 points on the night. Tyrese Haliburton was the leading scorer for them with 16 points.
The Bucks will now face an elimination Game 6 tomorrow evening in Indiana.
What Did We Learn?
This Bucks team showed the determination and grit that was needed to win. A lot of teams would’ve rolled over and gone belly up, but they didn’t. They were without their two leading scorers. Rather than not showing any emotion, they instead came together and did what was necessary to extend the series. There isn’t one single player that was the defining reason. Instead, it was a collective force. Doc Rivers mentioned how locked in everybody was during their film session, noting that he knew everybody’s all was going to be given. This proves just how special it is to have a veteran-led team in the playoffs. Closeout games truly are difficult to secure wins in and this Milwaukee squad is going to continue to make it tough for Indiana tomorrow night.
Three Observations
Khris Middleton continues to prove his worth.
I mean, you’re simply just running out of things to say at this point. With the team’s backs against the walls and without his superstar teammates, Khris Middleton stepped up yet again and provided his all. In 40 minutes of action, he scratched out 29 points and helped lead Milwaukee to a Game 6. It’s not like this is being done in a surprise manner either. The Pacers know he’s going to be the leader of the Bucks’ offense. However, he still finds a way to get it done. We’ll see if he’s joined by one of either Giannis or Dame (or both) in Game 6, but you can guarantee that he’ll continue to be pivotal for Milwaukee whatever the scenario.
Bobby Portis stepped up in this one.
It was a disastrous Game 4 for Bobby Portis. There’s no other way to state it. With his team falling into a downward spiral with injuries, he failed to keep his composure and got ejected, making his team even thinner. However, last night, he came back and was influential in securing the win. He’d post a double-double that consisted of 29 points and ten rebounds. Everybody mentioned how proud they were of him, especially Doc Rivers. Ace for Bobby himself? He opened up about his situation the last couple of days:
“No man, you know obviously, I’m an emotional player. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I give my all every night. I take pride in being able to play for my team. So you know, Game 4, a little scuffle, whatever it is — maybe crossed the line, you feel me? I let my team down by getting ejected and not being available for my team and I pride myself so much for being available so I owed them an apology for sure. Just to let them know that what I did wasn’t right. Obviously, during the moment, you feel like that you didn’t do anything but then as you sit in the locker room as the first quarter goes by, the second quarter goes by, and the whole game, you just sit there like, man , I could’ve helped impact the game. Just let my teammates know that my bad, I apologize for letting the team down and I’m gonna come out tonight and play as hard as I could.”
That’s not an easy situation to be in and Bobby delivered. He’ll look to have a similar impact tomorrow night in Game 6.
Patrick Beverley continues to be the heart and soul of this team.
Get your belts out. Pat Bev fulfilled his character yet again, composing a performance of 13 points and 12 assists — all while doing his typical antics. In the first half, he visibly got in the skin of Obi Toppin, forcing a technical and getting the crowd fired up. He’d also follow that up with numerous “too small” celebrations following buckets. This is the exact type of energy that is so necessary in situations like this. It feeds the team. It feeds the fans. It feeds the environment. He’s been pivotal to this Bucks squad and will continue to be so moving forward. He’s also been quite effective performance-wise. He’s been facilitating the basketball in quite the effective manner. Earlier in the series, he racked up an eight assist performance and last night, he scratched out 12 of them. He’ll continue to be big in Indianapolis tomorrow.
Bonus Bucks Bits
- With all the injuries that Milwaukee’s facing, Danilo Gallinari is receiving more action than he typically would. He’s not filling up the stat sheet, but is still putting forward quite positive performances. Here’s what he had to say on his current situation and how he’s been dealing with it:
“It’s honestly not easy. I’ve never been in this situation before. I’ve always been a guy that played 30-plus minutes and even when I started from the bench in Atlanta, I was playing in a lot of minutes. It’s pretty new for me but this is something that you learn how to do — and it’s all mental. The body, you work everyday to get your body ready — but the mental part is such a mental game in a situation like mine, you just gotta be ready…mentally stay there, keep focusing on every time out, follow what’s going on , study the game, study the game plan, and just be ready. Because when your name gets called, this is the playoffs. No mistakes allowed. Like I said, it’s a new situation for me but I thought I did a pretty good job.”
- Malik Beasley was big. He saw the starting lineup and delivered in a crucial manner, knocking down four threes on the night. Postgame, Doc Rivers mentioned how it was big for not just Malik, but him to see those go through. If Beasley can string together another positive shooting night in Game 6, that’ll bode very well for Milwaukee.
- The Bucks did a terrific job of taking away Indy’s threes. Indiana would end up going just 11-of-29 from beyond the perimeter. That’s going to be the key for Game 6 right there, in my opinion.
- Doc also praised the ATO success that his guys delivered. I don’t have the exact stats in front of me, but they were pretty effective. That shows just how locked in this squad is.
- And last, your Giannis and Dame update from Doc Rivers:
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