NBA regular season

Giannis drops 40, carries Bucks closer to 2nd in East

Reuters

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Giannis drops 40, carries Bucks closer to 2nd in East

DOUBLE-DOUBLE. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo drives to the basket against Pacers forward JaKarr Sampson.

Photo by Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports/Reuters

The No. 2 spot in the East remains within reach for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks as they pull within one game of the Nets

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 40 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists led the Milwaukee Bucks to a 142-133 victory over the host Indiana Pacers on Thursday night, May 13 (Friday, May 14, Manila time).

The Bucks (45-25) pulled within one game of the Brooklyn Nets, who hold second place in the Eastern Conference.

The Pacers (33-37) remained tied with the Charlotte Hornets for eighth place in the East, but their lead over the 10th-place Washington Wizards is now one game with two left to play.

Indiana continued to struggle at home, falling to 13-22 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The Bucks swept the season series against the Pacers for the first time since 2010.

Milwaukee outscored Indiana 39-38 in the first quarter while shooting 61.5%. The Pacers shot 51.9%, as Justin Holiday kept them in it with 18 points on six three-pointers.

But Milwaukee went on a 10-0 surge to open the second half and took a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter. Indiana never drew closer than eight points the rest of the way.

The Pacers had eight players score in double figures. Holiday led the way with 26 points, hitting eight three-pointers.

The Bucks crushed the Pacers in the paint, outscoring them 78-50, and got to the free-throw line far more often. Milwaukee shot 23-for-31 on free throws while Indiana went 12-for-15.

Khris Middleton scored 22 points and Brook Lopez had 21 points and 8 rebounds for the Bucks. Jrue Holiday finished with 20 points and 14 assists, and Bobby Portis had 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting off the bench.

Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis shot only 5-for-19 from the field and totaled 10 points and 14 assists. He left the game with 5:31 left in the third quarter after he and Lopez collided under the basket. Sabonis appeared to be favoring his left leg. Lopez remained in the game.

Indiana’s TJ McConnell (23 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds) exited with 3:28 left in the second quarter after injuring his hand. But McConnell returned at the start of the second half.

Doug McDermott and Oshae Brissett each had 19 points for the Pacers. JaKarr Sampson had 14 points, Kelan Martin added 12 points and 9 rebounds, and Goga Bitadze had 10 points off the bench. – Rappler.com

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