With each groups coming off tight video games Wednesday night time, the Milwaukee Bucks will journey to Indiana to tackle the Pacers on Friday night time in a Central Division battle.
Milwaukee held on to beat the Denver Nuggets 107-99 on Wednesday as Denver was taking part in on the second night time of a back-to-back and resting lots of its key gamers, together with two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way in which for the Bucks in his second recreation again from harm with 33 factors and 14 rebounds. Jrue Holiday added 20 factors and Pat Connaughton scored 19 factors, a season-high whereas grabbing 12 rebounds.
“You get into a meeting 30 minutes before a game and they say all these guys aren’t going to play, you’d think that would make the game easier, but these are the games you have to be more mentally focused for,” Connaughton mentioned. “We could have done a better job of that tonight. The turnovers (22) are a direct result of that.”
Indiana was on the dropping finish of a high-scoring battle in Orlando on Wednesday, falling 126-120. The Magic held on after constructing a 46-29 cushion after the primary quarter.
In the loss, Benedict Mathurin led the way in which with 26 factors together with Buddy Hield’s 21 factors and Myles Turner’s 22 factors and 13 rebounds. Chris Duarte and T.J. McConnell additionally scored in double figures with 16 and 17, respectively.
“Lousy first quarter. I thought we were pretty good in the second, third and fourth quarters. We’ve got to get off to better starts,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle mentioned. “Our presence defensively wasn’t where it needed to be. The second night of a back-to-back is not an excuse.”
The injured Tyrese Haliburton leads Indiana with 20.2 factors and 1.8 steals per recreation and leads your entire NBA with 10.2 assists per recreation. Myles Turner leads the Pacers with 8.0 rebounds and a pair of.4 blocks per recreation.
For Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo leads with 31.0 factors and 12.0 rebounds per recreation. Holiday leads the Bucks with 7.3 assists and 1.4 steals per recreation whereas Brook Lopez leads with 2.5 blocks per recreation.
Haliburton has not performed since Jan. 11, lacking eight video games. He mentioned Friday that the Pacers would re-evaluate his harm by the tip of January and he hopes to return by then. Additionally, Andrew Nembhard is day-to-day for the Pacers and Daniel Theis missed Wednesday’s recreation with a knee harm.
Milwaukee performed its first recreation with out Bobby Portis on Wednesday after he suffered a proper MCL and proper ankle sprain Monday. He will probably be re-evaluated in two weeks.
MarJon Beauchamp is taken into account day-to-day for the Bucks with knee soreness, whereas Serge Ibaka stays out because the group seems for a commerce companion for him.
The Bucks and Pacers matched up earlier this season. The Bucks gained their ninth straight within the sequence in opposition to the Pacers on Jan. 16, profitable 132-119 in Milwaukee.
