Milwaukee Bucks (28-39) beat Indiana Pacers (15-53) 134-123 at home on Sunday, March 15, after falling far behind. The Bucks were down 8 at one quarter break and still finished 11 ahead.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Pacers had the better start, winning the first 34-26 to lead by 8 after one. The Bucks cut into the deficit with a 36-31 second quarter, though the Pacers still led by 3 at halftime.
The Bucks won the third 40-31 to turn the game around, taking a 6-point lead into the fourth. The Bucks took the fourth 32-27; the Bucks finished the job for a 134-123 regulation win.
What flipped it
The Bucks took better care of the ball, turning it over on 9.5% of possessions compared with 18.2% for the Pacers. The Bucks grabbed 30.2% of their own misses, while the Pacers recovered 27%. Those extra possessions were crucial.
The Pacers did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 22.2 against 14.4. The Bucks made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 97 possessions per team, the Bucks produced 138.5 points per 100 possessions to 127.1 for the Pacers.
Who carried the comeback
Giannis Antetokounmpo was the game's biggest individual force for MIL: 31 pts, 14 reb, 8 ast on 11-22 shooting. His Game Score of 29.2 led everyone. His team was +17 with him on the floor.
Aaron Nesmith led the Pacers with 32 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast on 10-14 shooting, good for a 25.2 Game Score.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (31 pts, 14 reb, 8 ast) and Bobby Portis (29 pts, 10 reb, 3 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Bucks about a 74% chance.
Across the last 12 meetings in our records, Milwaukee Bucks lead 7-5.
The Bucks are now 28-39, and the Pacers are 15-53. The Bucks last five before this game: W-L-L-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.