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The Milwaukee Bucks are enjoying their greatest basketball of the season, however the highlight that hovers over the staff hasn’t been as vibrant because the previous few seasons.
That does not trouble two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo as his staff goes for its twelfth win in 13 video games when it hosts the Indiana Pacers on Monday evening.
Milwaukee has received a season-high six straight video games and is among the hottest groups within the league.
However the staff was simply three video games over .500 four-plus weeks in the past. That slowed the nationwide hype over the Bucks being the Jap Convention favourite.
Antetokounmpo sees it this manner: The much less chatter, the higher.
“We do not play for individuals to speak about us,” Antetokounmpo mentioned after Saturday evening’s 120-113 residence win over the San Antonio Spurs. “I type of prefer it. I simply wish to be left alone. I by no means favored vibrant lights. I by no means favored individuals speaking about us. It simply provides stress to me and my teammates to return in and do what we do.
“I type of prefer to be below the radar and we simply are available in, get pleasure from each other, get pleasure from enjoying basketball and we’re simply getting the job finished. However, yeah, there’s gonna be occasions they’re gonna speak about us, there’s gonna be occasions they are not gonna speak about us, however personally, as I mentioned, I identical to being below the radar.”
There was no solution to keep away from discussing Antetokounmpo after his efficiency towards the Spurs. He matched his profession better of 15 assists and has reached double digits in that class in 4 of the previous 5 video games. He additionally had 26 factors and eight rebounds.
Khris Middleton added 23 factors and Jrue Vacation had 21. Newcomer P.J. Tucker additionally made his Milwaukee debut and had three rebounds in 13 minutes.
“You’ll be able to see the depth,” Middleton mentioned of Tucker, acquired from the Houston Rockets. “He’ll be an important match for us.”
The Bucks wish to defeat the Pacers for the seventh time prior to now eight conferences.
Milwaukee made 21 3-pointers in a 130-110 residence win over Indiana on Feb. 3. Antetokounmpo had 21 factors, 14 rebounds and 10 assists for one among his seven triple-doubles on the season.
Pacers star Domantas Sabonis had 33 factors, 12 rebounds and 6 assists in that matchup.
Sabonis had staff highs of 17 factors and 11 rebounds on Sunday when Indiana notched a 109-106 time beyond regulation win over the host Miami Warmth.
Justin Vacation scored 15 factors and made the 2 greatest photographs for the Pacers. Miami led by 5 in time beyond regulation earlier than Vacation hit back-to-back 3-pointers to place Indiana forward for good.
“The primary one which I shot — in the event you look again and watch it — I used to be in a position to run into it and know that no person was there,” mentioned Vacation, the older brother of Milwaukee’s Jrue. “So, it was like essentially the most rhythm I might have to enter a shot, and the momentum I wanted. I knew that one was happening. After which, after that, the following shot I used to be taking pictures was happening.”
A delightful sight to Pacers coach Nate Bjorkgren was the steadiness.
Seven gamers scored at the least 12 factors as Indiana prevailed regardless of taking pictures simply 38.8 p.c from the sector.
“As I have a look at this field rating, there have been seven guys between 12 and 17 factors,” Bjorkgren mentioned. “That is our guys sharing the basketball. They’re doing that very properly. If we’re not open, we’re passing it to the open man. And you will get some ultimate stats that appear like that.”
Indiana is 2-0 on a three-game highway journey that follows a stretch through which it misplaced eight of 10 video games.
–Subject Stage Media
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