The Milwaukee Bucks looked to survive for another day when they took on the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 on Tuesday. Down 1-3 in the series, the Bucks hoped to pull off a road win without superstar Damian Lillard, who tore his left Achilles tendon two nights ago. Milwaukee could go out for the second straight year on the same stage against the same opponent with another loss.
Doc Rivers showed desperation by shuffling his starting unit. He inserted Bobby Portis for Brook Lopez and Kevin Porter Jr. for the injured Lillard. The ploy worked like a charm as Milwaukee raced to a 30-13 lead after 12 minutes.
The Pacers recovered from the surprise by sticking to their familiar balanced attack, hustle and pace. They flipped the script in the second quarter to trail by just 47-41 at halftime.
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The third quarter became a seesaw battle between two teams raring to accomplish their respective goals. Indiana’s execution and timely defensive stops allowed them to tie the game at 75-75 entering the fourth quarter.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Indiana Pacers player stats and box score
Michael Macasero brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his coverage of basketball at Sportskeeda with over 18 years of diverse work experience. This includes stints at Convergys, Interpace and RunRepeat.
Michael’s background in English and Journalism has provided him with the analytical skills and precision necessary for creating content, and he is a lifelong fan of the Boston Celtics. His favorite players include legends like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, modern stars like Tim Duncan, and Nikola Jokic, as well as emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.
Michael respects Gregg Popovich, despite his contentious demeanor in interviews, and recognizes Popovich’s genius in adapting his coaching style to maximize the talent on his roster over the years. Michael eagerly anticipates seeing how Popovich will structure the offense around emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.
Understanding the story and details is crucial to Michael’s reporting philosophy and he believes overlooking details, particularly when pressed for time, can lead to misunderstandings and inaccurate conclusions.
Aside from work, Michael’s children are his hobbies, and he also likes to go running, swimming and weightlifting.
