For 2024, the Indiana Pacers are off to a great start. The Pacers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 122-113 on New Year’s Day at Fiserv Forum after a close battle. Indiana choked out the Central Division win; the Blue and Gold trailed by 15 points twice, shot 44% from the field overall, and only converted 5 of 35 3-pointers. The Pacers had trouble shooting the ball, but they made up for it with aggressive playmaking and effort plays. The Pacers recorded a season-high 52 rebounds in the victory, and they also made and attempted season-high numbers of free throws, going 31 for 38 from the charity stripe. The Pacers showed off their depth that evening as well, defeating the Milwaukee bench 70–16. “I simply felt we completed a lot of tasks that are necessary when traveling,” said Rick Carlisle, head coach of the Pacers. You must maintain your composure and your aggressiveness, and we both maintained our positive inner spirits and mutual faith. “The Pacers trailed the Bucks for the majority of the game until winning 38-25 in the fourth quarter. In the closing minutes, the Blue & Gold point guards put in a lot of work, led by seasoned T. J. Tyrese Haliburton, an All-Star, finished the fourth quarter with nine points and four rebounds, while McConnell scored 12 points in the last frame. With one game remaining, Indiana has already defeated the Bucks 3-1 this season, taking the series for the first time since the 2017–18 campaign. Gainbridge Field will host Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Before Monday, the Bucks were riding a 15-game winning streak at Fiserv Forum.
Six players finished in double-digit scoring for the Pacers. Haliburton logged 26 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, while Bennedict Mathurin put up a strong 25 points and 13 rebounds off the bench for his second double-double of the season. Rounding out the top scoring, Isaiah Jackson had 18 points and nine rebounds, McConnell added 16 total points and nine assists, Myles Turner scored 13 and Obi Toppin logged 11 points for Indiana.
Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with a triple-double for the Bucks, his second of the season, by collecting 30 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists, while Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton scored 21 points each.
“We just found a way to win,” McConnell said. “I think we kind of hang our hat on getting a lot of threes up, and when we’re making them we’re pretty tough to beat. When we don’t make them, it’s typically tough for us to win. I just tip my cap to this group. We just found a way to win and adjusted to our cold shooting night and got it done.”
Indiana’s bench kept the score within striking distance in the first half, accounting for 33 points, but the Pacers trailed 62-56 at halftime. Indiana shot just 36 percent in the first half.
Indiana trailed by 15 points twice in the first quarter before closing it to 32-25.
The Blue & Gold went 2-for-10 in the first six minutes of action, and the Bucks took advantage by stringing together a 19-5 run behind seven points each by Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
Thanks to solid play from the second unit, Indiana responded with an 11-3 run in the final 2:32 of the opening frame to make it a seven-point game. Indiana’s bench accounted for 14 of the team’s points in the first 12 minutes.
The Pacers carried their momentum into the second quarter, putting together a 13-5 run on four points by Toppin and Mathurin each to go ahead 38-37 with 8:50 left in the half.
Milwaukee reached the penalty about four minutes into the second quarter, and the Pacers emphasized attacking the rim the rest of the period – a strategy that would play out the remainder of the game.
An 8-0 run, where Jackson accounted for six points, gave the Pacers a 47-41 lead before the Bucks answered with an 8-0 run of their own after Middleton and Lopez each made 3-pointers to put Milwaukee up 49-47 with 4:44 remaining in the half.
The score stayed within a possession until a Pat Connaughton 3-pointer and Antetokounmpo layup gave the Bucks a 62-54 advantage. At the buzzer, Jalen Smith tipped in a 3-point miss from Turner to make it a six-point game.
Out of halftime, Milwaukee used runs of 9-3 and 8-0 to lead 82-67. Indiana then responded with a 17-6 run to close the third quarter to make it 88-84.
Two buckets by Jackson and a finger-roll layup by Mathurin put the Pacers ahead 90-89 with 10 minutes remaining, but Jackson fouled out with 8:21 left.
The game then stayed within two points until back-to-back baskets by Mathurin, a bucket from McConnell, and a jumper from Haliburton pushed the Pacers ahead 105-101 to force a Bucks timeout with 4:52 remaining.
McConnell scored four points out of the huddle, and Haliburton drained a pair of shots from around 18 feet to put the Pacers up 113-104. Haliburton then converted an and-one with 90 seconds left, and the Blue & Gold held on from there.
The Pacers outrebounded the Bucks 52-46 in the game and outscored Milwaukee 64-50 in the paint. Both teams ended up shooting 44 percent overall.
Stat of the Night :After shooting 38 percent overall through three quarters, the Pacers made 14 of 21 shots (66.7 percent) in the final frame.
Inside the Numbers: The Pacers were 31-for-38 from the free throw line and the Bucks made 21-of-26 from the charity stripe.
The Pacers matched a season-low five made 3-pointers on Monday. The team is averaging 14 3-pointers made per game this season.
Milwaukee coughed up 11 turnovers and the Pacers had seven giveaways.
Indiana is 15-4 this season when six or more players score in double figures.
Tyrese Haliburton has achieved 24 double-doubles this season.
Haliburton has scored 20 or more points 20 times this season and has logged 10 or more assists 25 times.
Indiana is 8-3 when outrebounding their opponent. Bennedict Mathurin has scored 20 or more points six times this season.
