Tyrese Haliburton highlighted the Indiana Pacers’ depth as a key strength, which was evident in their 122-113 victory over Milwaukee during Monday’s NBA action, ending the Bucks’ 15-game winning streak at Fiserv Forum.
Returning to his home state, Haliburton delivered a standout performance with 26 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds, contributing to Indiana’s triumph over Giannis Antetokounmpo’s impressive triple-double.
The Pacers’ bench outshone the Bucks with a 70-16 advantage in bench points. Haliburton, who hails from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, approximately 90 miles north of Milwaukee, emphasized the team’s collective effort, praising the bench’s role in energizing the game on a night when the starters had a slow start.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who can contribute,” Haliburton said. “That’s the best part about our team. Some nights, the starting lineup’s got it going. Nights like tonight, where we come out slow, our bench has to come in and kind of wake the game up.”
Bennedict Mathurin was another key player for Indiana, scoring 25 points and grabbing a career-high 13 rebounds, while Isaiah Jackson added 18 points and nine rebounds. T.J. McConnell, coming off the bench, contributed 16 points and nine assists.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks Updates
Despite struggling with their 3-point shots, making only 5 out of 35 attempts, the Pacers managed to secure the win. McConnell acknowledged the team’s reliance on 3-point shooting, praising their ability to adjust and secure a win despite the cold shooting night.
“I think we kind of hang our hat on getting a lot of 3s up,” McConnell said. “When we make a lot of them, we’re pretty tough to beat. But when we don’t make them, it’s typically hard for us to win. I tip our cap to this group. We just found a way and adjusted to our cold-shooting night and got it done.”
Antetokounmpo’s 38th career triple-double, which included 30 points, 18 rebounds, and 11 assists, wasn’t enough for the Bucks, who have a 1-3 record against Indiana this season despite his averaging 46.3 points in these matchups. Antetokounmpo expressed the need for the Bucks to analyze and adapt their strategy for their next encounter with the Pacers.
“We’ve got to figure it out,” Antetokounmpo said. “You just never know. You might see them in the playoffs. We’re definitely going to see them again in two days. At the end of the day, this makes us better. It makes us better. We’ve got to go watch the tapes, figure out what they do well against us and try to stop it. And if we cannot stop it, we’ll probably lose again.”
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Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton each scored 21 points for Milwaukee, but Damian Lillard struggled with his shooting, scoring only 13 points. The Pacers rallied from a 15-point deficit in the third quarter, eventually taking the lead on a basket by Jackson. The game remained tight until McConnell’s six points contributed to an 8-0 run that gave Indiana a 109-101 lead. Haliburton then sealed the victory with crucial jumpers and a three-point play in the final minutes.
“That’s a team that’s competed for a championship for multiple years,” Haliburton said. “We’re on the up-and-up, but we haven’t been there yet. A lot of respect for them as a group. I don’t think I can really call it a rivalry yet. But we’re going to compete no matter who it’s against, and we play these guys a lot during the year. We’re ready when we see them.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks Updates
Despite this success, Haliburton refrained from calling the matchups with the Bucks a rivalry, acknowledging Milwaukee’s championship pedigree and stating respect for their opponents.
“This is a game that everybody was prepared for and everybody was ready for,” Haliburton said. “I think again their words were we weren’t ready for them physically (after the last matchup). I think we were ready today.”
Both teams experienced absences, with Indiana missing Bruce Brown and Andrew Nembhard due to injuries and the Bucks without MarJon Beauchamp.
The teams, who have already had intense matchups this season, including a skirmish after their game on Dec. 13, are set to face off again on Wednesday in Indiana.
