The Pacers were in Milwaukee on Monday night for the second game of a back-to-back. The Bucks came into the game winless at 0-3, but are now in the win column after a strong second half. They defeated the Pacers by a final score of 110-102.
Here are my main takeaways from Monday night:
Second-chance points
The Pacers were without several key players on Monday, including Andrew Nembhard and TJ McConnell. The biggest absence of them all, however, proved to be Ivica Zubac, who was out due to his ankle injury suffered on Sunday. The Pacers got smoked on the glass, losing the rebounding battle 45-34 while getting outscored 24-8 in second chance points. Former Indiana Hoosier Kel'el Ware pulled down 14 rebounds for Milwaukee and it seemed like every key moment of the second half resulted in a Bucks offensive board.
No stoppin' Obi Toppin.
One of the positives in the game was the continued strong play of Obi Toppin. Four games into the season, and Toppin has scored in double-figures in all four of them. He had 14 points and 6 rebounds in this game, and is averaging just under 16 points per game on the young season. Toppin was limited to just 24 games due to injuries last year and he's already making up for lost time. While he was only 2-for-7 from three on Monday, he is still shooting 44% from behind the arc on the year.
Poor second half leads to the loss.
The Pacers had a solid first half, and built an 11 point lead at the break. The second half, however, was a different story. The offense went ice cold and the Pacers shot a dismal 3-for-22 from behind the arc in the second half.
The Bucks outscored the Pacers by 10 in the third quarter and by nine more in the fourth quarter. Tyler Herro led the way for Milwaukee with 23 points on 7-for-14 from the field. Former Pacer Myles Turner didn't do much offensively, with only six points, but he made his presence known in the paint down the stretch with multiple blocks in key moments. Turner is now 5-0 against his former team.
The Pacers also left some points on the foul line, shooting just 11-for-18 for the game.
Final Thoughts:
It's never easy winning on a back-to-back, especially with several key injuries. At the same time, this is one the Pacers will definitely want back. Milwaukee projects to be one of the weaker teams in the league, and Indiana had a double-digit lead. Haliburton and Siakam have continued to play well and will need more help if the Pacers want to keep the pace in an improved Eastern Conference.
Next up: A date with LeBron James and the Sixers in Indianapolis on Wednesday night.
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