Giannis Antetokounmpo (a 38-point triple-double) and Jrue Holiday (a career-high 51 points) returned to the lineup with a bang, giving their Milwaukee Bucks the season series over the Indiana Pacers three to one. The magic number for the Bucks to secure the East’s top seed is now 4.
The first was close throughout, with Giannis’ hard-earned 13 in the period stemming from repeated battering ram-style assaults inside that the Pacers tried to counter with physicality (i.e. fouling him at every opportunity). Milwaukee led 34-30 to start the second, and Indiana played them even during the next dozen minutes despite Holiday adding 17 to his 10 from the first, good for a career-best 27 in a half.