NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking points from Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks

Final Score: Milwaukee Bucks 117 - Indiana Pacers 98

The league-leading Milwaukee Bucks lost two straight games for the first time this season and missed out on a golden opportunity to extend their lead against the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Standings table.

It was a close game and the teams entered the half-time with the Indiana Pacers down by 4 points. However, the Bucks started dominating the Pacers in the second half and went to defeat them quite convincingly.

Giannis scored 29 points and led both the teams in scoring. Myles Turner led the Pacers' scoring with 22 points. Khris Middleton also chipped in 27 points for the hosts. The Bucks moved to 49-16 with the win and are still firm at the top of the standings. In this article, let us take a look at three talking points from this game.

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#3 The Pacers let the Bucks blow the game open in the third quarter

Darren Collison had a forgettable game and was restricted to single-digit scoring

Darren Collison has elevated his game in the absence of Victor Oladipo and has been one of the key reasons for the Pacers' success this season. The UCLA product scored 22 points in the win against the Chicago Bulls couple of nights earlier before this game.

Howbeit, he could not continue his form and had a forgettable game against the Bucks and was restricted to single-digit scoring. He struggled shooting from the field as he went 2-for-7 from the field, including 0-for-3 from distance.

However, the Pacers were just down by 4 points at half-time, thanks to Myles Turner and Bojan Bogdanovic. In the third quarter, the Bucks blew the game wide open and went on a 12-0 run, finished the quarter with 72-84 lead.

#2 The Bucks shot at an incredible 50 percent from the field

Khris Middleton had 27 points in the game

The Bucks were scorching hot from the field last night. All their players came up big and pulled off an impressive win against a really good Pacers team. The entire team combined for 43-of-86 from the field and shot at an incredible 50 percent.

This includes their 14-for-35 (40 %) from the three-point line as the Bucks bounced back from two straight defeats. While it was Giannis who led the charge and scored 27 points on 10-for-17 shooting, players like Khris Middleton, 27 points on 8-for-15 shooting, and Eric Bledsoe, 12 points on 6-for-10 shooting also made an impact.

In contrast, the Pacers only shot 35-for-90 (38.9 %) from the field and did not give themselves any chance against the best defensive team in the league. Players like Cory Joseph and Kyle O'Quinn failed to impress and struggled shooting from the field.

#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo's fourth straight double-double

Giannis put together a strong double-double to help the Bucks past the Pacers Credit: Sky Sports

Nothing new here. It was once again Giannis Antetokounmpo's night as he exploded for a monster double-double with 29 points and 12 rebounds against the Pacers and helped the Bucks past the Pacers.

Giannis, who was coming off a strong game against the Suns where he scored 21 points and had 13 rebounds, could not be stopped and went on to register his fourth straight double-double in the process.

With the Bucks up big, the 'Greek Freak' had a dunk to elevate the Bucks to 96-74 with 8:21 left in the fourth quarter. However, the Pacers fought back with Giannis on the bench and he had to return.

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks' 8-2 run and closed out the game. Giannis is averaging a double-double over the season with 24.2 points, 12.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.