Milwaukee Bucks star Ersan Ilyasova scored a career-high 34 points in his team’s win over the Indiana Pacers in the only game of the night on Thursday.
All eyes were on Milwaukee given the schedule, and the Bucks didn’t disappoint in what was a significant result not only for themselves, but also for their opponents in the post-season race.
Milwaukee improve to 36-36 for the season as they continue to cement their place in the playoffs with the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference, but in contrast Indiana fell a half-game adrift of the Boston Celtics for the eighth and final place.
Khris Middleton added 17 points while Giannis Antetotkounmpo had 16 for the Bucks, and Jason Kidd’s men have now won two straight after a six-game losing streak.
In response, the Pacers got good production from CJ Miles with 26 points, while George Hill (24) and CJ Watson (23) led them in the back-court. However, it wasn’t enough to pick up a crucial win in their pursuit of playoff basketball.
Coach Frank Vogel had no excuses after the game, insisting that he was proud of the fight displayed by his players but he was undoubtedly disappointed about the loss.
Next up for the Pacers is a clash with the Dallas Mavericks as they look to get their season back on track while the Bucks will take on a daunting task in facing the Western Conference leaders and NBA-best Golden State Warriors.
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