by Wheat Hotchkiss
Game Preview
The Pacers (5-3) will try to close out a busy homestand with another victory on Thursday night, when they host the Milwaukee Bucks (5-2) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on the second night of a back-to-back for both teams.
Thursday’s game will conclude a stretch that has seen Indiana host five games over just seven days. It has been more successful than stressful so far, as the Blue & Gold have won three of the first four contests on the homestand, with the only blemish a one-point loss to Charlotte on Saturday.
The Pacers rebounded with a record-setting win over San Antonio on Monday, followed by a 134-118 victory over Utah on Wednesday. Indiana pulled away from the Jazz in the fourth quarter, outscoring the visitors 33-20 in the final frame.
Several players had strong performances for the Blue & Gold in Wednesday’s win. Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Smith continued their stellar starts to the season, both recording double-doubles. Aaron Nesmith scored 24 points off the bench, while Myles Turner dropped 22 and swatted three shots. But the most encouraging performance came from second-year guard Bennedict Mathurin.
It’s been an adjustment for Mathurin this season moving into the starting lineup. He has the ball in his hands less now that he is playing more alongside Haliburton and the coaching staff has tasked him with finding ways to impact the game in ways besides scoring. He scored 10 points or less in four straight games entering Wednesday, but had a big offensive night against Utah, tallying a season-high 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting (4-of-7 from 3-point range), nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
“I’ve got a whole different role,” Mathurin said after the win. “I don’t get as easy shots as I was getting last year. I’m playing against better players. I’m just trying to find the right way to play and help my team win.”
The Bucks have a different look this season after pulling off a stunning trade just before training camp to acquire seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard from Portland in a three-team deal. Milwaukee gave up Jrue Holiday — one of the pillars of their team that won the NBA title in 2021 — in the deal, but it was an all-in move designed to pair a second superstar alongside two-time MVP Giannis Antetkounmpo.
So far, the Bucks are off to a strong start and they enter Thursday’s game riding a three-game winning streak. Their latest victory was a hard-fought 120-118 win over Detroit that had a unique twist, with Antetokounmpo ejected minutes into the second half after picking up a second technical foul. Lillard stepped into the lead role in his absence, scoring 34 points to lead Milwaukee to victory.
Lillard hasn’t shot the ball well yet from distance (he’s made just 29.3 percent of his 3-point attempts, including a 2-for-12 performance from beyond the arc on Wednesday), but still has topped 30 points in three of his first seven games as a Buck and is averaging 11.4 free throw attempts per game.
Containing Antetokounmpo was already a tall task, but now teams also have to account for Lillard, one of the league’s most prolific scorers over the past decade. Thursday’s game will be a big test for the Pacers’ defense, which entered Wednesday night 25th in the league in defensive rating (116.4 points per 100 possessions) and 28th in opponent free throw attempts (26 per game).
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Bruce Brown, F – Bennedict Mathurin, F – Obi Toppin, C – Myles Turner
Bucks: G – Damian Lillard, G – Malik Beasley, F – Khris Middleton, F – Giannis Antetokounmpo, C – Brook Lopez
Injury Report
Pacers: None
Bucks: None
Last Meeting
March 29, 2023: Jrue Holiday scored a career-high 51 points while Giannis Antetokounmpo added a 38-point, 17-rebound, 12-assist triple-double as the Bucks pulled away in the second half for a 149-136 victory over the Pacers.
Holiday went 20-for-30 from the field, 3-for-6 from 3-point range, and 8-for-10 from the free throw line, eclipsing his previous career high by 11 points while also tallying eight rebounds and eight assists.
Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, went 14-for-18 from the field and 10-for-14 from the charity stripe, as he and Holiday combined for 89 points as the Bucks avenged a 139-123 loss to the Pacers on March 16 in Milwaukee.
Rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin led seven Pacers in double figures with 29 points and also pulled down nine rebounds, while Aaron Nesmith added 22 points on 5-of-5 3-point shooting.
Noteworthy
- The Pacers will wear their 2023-24 CITY EDITION uniforms for the second time this season on Thursday and will also debut the new CITY EDITION court.
- The Bucks have won 11 of the last 12 and 15 of the last 17 meetings with Indiana, including their last five contests at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
- Pacers guard Buddy Hield’s next 3-pointer with break a tie with Carmelo Anthony for 27th place on the NBA’s career 3-pointers made list. Both players currently have 1,731 career threes.
- Pacers forward Jordan Nwora was drafted by the Bucks in the second round 2020 and won an NBA championship with Milwaukee as a rookie. He was traded to Indiana in February in a four-team deal.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings)
TV: Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Originally posted on pacers.com