Giannis Antetokounmpo had 38 points (28 in the paint), 17 rebounds and 12 assists, his fifth triple-double of the season, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Indiana Pacers 149-136.
Jrue Holiday’s layup put the Bucks ahead for good with 7:47 left in the third quarter.
Holiday had a season-high 51 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists on 20 for 30 shooting, and Brook Lopez added 21 points (18 in the paint), 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. The Bucks had 2 30-point scorers.
For the Pacers, Bennedict Mathurin had 29 points and 9 rebounds, and Aaron Nesmith added 22 points and 3 steals on 7 for 9 shooting. Jordan Nwora scored 18 points. Andrew Nembhard had 15 points and a career-high 15 assists. The Pacers had 7 players in double-digit scoring.
The Bucks shot 62.4% from the field to the Pacers’ 52.5% and outscored them 86-64 in the paint. The Pacers gave up 14 offensive rebounds, about 5 more than usual for the shots the Bucks missed. The Pacers’ starters were outscored 46-31 in 14 minutes together. Jalen Smith fouled out.