Despite a rough start to the season, losing eight of their first ten games, Bucks coach Doc Rivers had faith his team would bounce back.
True to his belief, the Milwaukee Bucks have won four of their last five games heading into an NBA Cup matchup against the visiting Indiana Pacers on Friday.
While the Bucks are on an upward trajectory, the Pacers have struggled, losing four of their last five games. In their latest outing, Indiana shot just 22.7 percent from 3-point range (5 of 22) in a 130-113 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
Indiana will look to rebound against the Bucks and their star player Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 41 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and dished out eight assists in a 122-106 win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. Brook Lopez, who struggled during the team’s poor start, has been performing well recently, averaging 19 points on 55.4 percent shooting over his last five games.
The Bucks demonstrated their championship potential late in Wednesday’s game, closing with an 18-4 run. Reflecting on the victory, Rivers acknowledged the team’s rough start but remained optimistic.
The Pacers are in dire need of more production from All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who managed only four points on 1-of-7 shooting against Houston, including 1 of 5 from beyond the arc.
Haliburton is averaging 12.6 points per game while shooting 30.3 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from 3-point range over his last five games.
A positive takeaway from Wednesday’s loss was the performance of guard Quenton Jackson, who scored a career-high 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting in his first career start. Jackson also added three assists, two rebounds, two steals, and a block in 27 minutes.
