Damian Lillard scored all 35 of his points before halftime and the Milwaukee Bucks withstood the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo to defeat the Indiana Pacers 109-94 on Sunday in their Eastern Conference playoff opener.
The Bucks needed Lillard to step up without Antetokounmpo, whose return date is uncertain as he deals with a strained left calf that also caused him to miss Milwaukee’s final three regular-season games.
With Antetokounmpo watching from the bench, Lillard came through by setting a Bucks record for points in either half of a playoff game.had 36 points and 13 rebounds for the Pacers, who hadn't scored fewer than 99 points in the regular season while averaging a league-high 123.3 points per game. The Pacers shot 8 of 39 from 3-point range.
Indiana is making its first playoff appearance since 2020 and is seeking to get beyond the opening round for the first time since 2014.Lillard had 19 points in the opening period, the highest first-quarter point total by any player in a playoff opener since at least 1997. He had the highest first-half point total for any player in a postseason contest sinceHe then got some help from his teammates while taking a well-deserved breather.
Once Lillard returned, he picked up right where he’d left off. He sank a 3-pointer while getting fouled and completed a four-point play to extend Milwaukee’s lead to 65-35. The Bucks were ahead 69-42 at halftime. The Pacers made a game of it in the second half as they finally shut down Lillard, who shot 0 for 5 after halftime. Indiana closed the third quarter with nine straight points to get Milwaukee’s lead down to 83-71.made 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to start an 8-0 run that extended Milwaukee’s lead to 99-77 with 8:10 left. Milwaukee stayed ahead by at least 14 the rest of the way.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Lillard sets Bucks' postseason mark with 35 points in opening half vs PacersDamian Lillard set a Milwaukee Bucks postseason record by scoring 35 points in the first half of Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.
Read more »
Lillard Returns, Antetokounmpo Ruled Out for Bucks vs. Trail BlazersDamian Lillard is set to return for the Trail Blazers after missing the last three games, while Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ruled out for the Bucks due to a hamstring issue.
Read more »
Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks | 2024-04-21NHL news, NHL results, NHL standings, NHL scores, NHL teams, NHL schedule, NHL stats, NHL updates, NHL analysis, NHL highlights, NHL players, NHL events, NHL coverage, NHL articles, NHL season, NHL videos, NHL games, NHL live scores
Read more »
DeRozan, Vucevic lead Bulls past Pacers to end three-game losing streakDeMar DeRozan scored 27 points and Nikola Vucevic added 22 with 12 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls past the Indiana Pacers 125-99 on Wednesday night to snap a three-game skid.
Read more »
Toronto Raptors Snap 15-Game Losing Streak with Victory over Milwaukee BucksGary Trent Jr. scores 31 points as the Toronto Raptors defeat the slumping Milwaukee Bucks, who are playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo, ending their 15-game losing streak. Damian Lillard fouls out for the Bucks.
Read more »
Raptors snap 15-game skid and extend slump for BucksGary Trent Jr. scored 31 points and the Toronto Raptors snapped a 15-game losing streak with a 117-111 victory over the slumping Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.
Read more »