Bucks vs Pacers: Pacers on the Verge of Eliminating Bucks for Second Straight Year in Playoffs, Cruise to Go Up 3-1 After Lillard’s Injury

The Indiana Pacers came with full force and squeezed past the Milwaukee Bucks 129-103 on Sunday night to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series. The Pacers may eliminate the Bucks for a second straight year if they win Game 5 at their home court. It was Milwaukee’s seventh playoff defeat against Indiana in the last ten games.

Ahead of do-or-die game 5, the Bucks also faced a major blow as their star player, Damian Lillard, sustained a non-contact injury in the first quarter. The All-Star guard limped to the locker room and didn’t return. The Pacers held a 15-12 lead at the time of his injury, and they stretched it to 11 points at halftime.

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Pacers’ Resiliency in Playoff Series Put Bucks on the Edge of the Elimination

The Indiana Pacers haven’t dropped back-to-back games since March 10th, and in the last two seasons, they had a 7-3 record against the Bucks in the playoffs. Lillard’s injury midway through the first quarter pushed Milwaukee to change rotation, and despite all, they dropped their first quarter 30-24. The Pacers had a 63-52 lead at the end of first half.

The Bucks went on a 12-4 run and cut the deficit to nine in the third quarter. The Pacers closed the period on an 11-3 run to stretch their lead to 17 points. Indiana continued their dominance and extended its lead to 122-98 in the middle of the final quarter.

The Pacers shot 60.2% from the floor and 46.2% from beyond the arc in Game 4. Eight Pacers scored in double figures. They became the 2nd team since 2000 to have 8+ players in double figures in a playoff game. It was the third instance in the series when at least six players from Indiana scored in double figures.

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Myles Turner scored 23 points and Aaron Nembhard added 20. Tyrese Haliburton had 17 points and a playoff career-high 15 assists. T.J. McConnell scored 15 points, Aaron Nesmith chipped in 14, and Obi Toppin had 13. Pascal Siakam and Jarace Walker contributed 12 points each.

Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images