Bucks beat Pacers 115-92 in Game 5 to stay alive
INDIANAPOLIS – The Pacers couldn’t secure their first playoff series win in a decade falling to the Bucks 115-92 in Game 5 in Milwaukee on Tuesday night.
Indiana still leads the series 3-2 and will have another chance to advance to the conference semifinals with a win on Thursday night in Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Bobby Portis and Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 29 points each, while Tyrese Haliburton paced Indiana with 16 points.
The Pacers got off to a hot start, shooting 7-of-13 from three-point range and using a 12-0 run to held build an early 10-point lead. Indiana led 31-23 after one quarter.
Milwaukee turned up with defense and rallied in the second behind Middleton and Patrick Beverley, taking a 35-33 lead on a Middletown three-pointer. A Beverley three gave the Bucks an eight-point lead at 51-43 as Milwaukee led 53-48 at halftime.
The Bucks took total control in the third quarter. A Portis lay-up put Milwaukee up 72-57, forcing Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle to take a timeout. Malik Beasley made it a 19-point cushion with a three-pointer, prompting another Carlisle timeout.
Pat Connaughton blocked Aaron Nesmith’s three-point attempt at the third quarter buzzer as the Bucks took an 87-67 lead into the fourth.
The Pacers could get no closer than 18 points in the final quarter as Indiana emptied the bench for the last five minutes.
The bad blood continued between the two teams as Obi Toppin and Beverley exchanged words by the Bucks’ bench in the second quarter. Toppin received a technical foul for the confrontation.
Milwaukee played without All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damain Lillard again. Antetokounmpo has missed the whole series with a strained left calf, while Lillard suffered an Achilles injury in Game 3 in Indiana and sat out the last two games.
The Pacers are looking for their first playoff series win since beating the Washington Wizards in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2014.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTTV CBS4Indy.
