Milwaukee (AP) — Jrue Holiday scored a season-high 35 points to go along with 11 assists as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Indiana Pacers 132-119 Monday without two-time quarterback Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks played a third straight game without Antetokounmpo due to left knee soreness. The Pacers lost the league’s leading scorer and assist to NBA leader Tyrese Haliburton for the third consecutive game due to a sprained left elbow and a slight bruise to the left knee bone.
Holiday shot 13-of-19 overall and 5-of-8 from 3-point range as he collected it for the third time in a row. The Bucks went 23 of 46 from outside the arc and had their highest 3-point basket total this season.
Hit holiday. ?
? @employee pic.twitter.com/0U5MhTA9jv
- Milwaukee Bucks January 16, 2023
Miles Turner returned to Indiana after missing three games with back spasms and scored 30 points for the Pacers, which lost its fourth in a row. TJ McConnell added 29 points - 25 in the first half - and nine assists.
After falling behind by as many as 13, the Bucks took a 101-100 lead on a Grayson Allen 3-pointer with 10:04 left in the game, the first time the Pacers had trailed since the first quarter. Indiana responded with back-to-back baskets from Andrew Nimbard and Jalen Smith.
The game went back and forth from there, as the first 4 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter featured five key changes.
Jordan Nora’s 3-pointer with 7:40 left put up the lead for Good at 108-107 and started a 7-0 run that included two baskets from Holiday.
Bobby Portis scored 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Bucks. Brook Lopez scored 19 points, Grayson Allen 17 and Nora 14.
Buddy Hill scored 18 and Benedict Mathurin added 12 for the Pacers.
Indiana led the way thanks to a fast start by McConnell, who entered the day scoring just 6 points per game.
During his 25-point first half, McConnell shot 9-of-9 from the floor, including 4-of-4 from 3-point range, and 3-of-3 from the free throw line while playing 17 minutes. He also provided six assists.
The Pacers shot 60.9% in the first half and led 76-65 at halftime. McConnell did not miss a shot until 5:45 left in the third quarter.
Tip-ins
Pacers: Indiana has its highest first-half total of the season. Indiana also scored 76 points in the first half of a 136-133 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on December 10.
Bucks: Coach Mike Bodenholzer said before the game that no decision had been reached on whether Antetokounmpo would play Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors. “We still think that’s the kind of thing we’ve dealt with, for me, being here every year,” Budenholzer said. “We don’t think it’s more than that. Being healthy and always looking after him is our priority. Perhaps we always err on the side of caution. We know how important he is to us.”
next one
Pacers: In Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
Bucks: Host Toronto on Tuesday. In their only previous meeting this season, the Bucks won 104-101 in overtime in Toronto on January 4.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports