Myles Turner scored 23 points and the Indiana Pacers won 129-103 on Sunday night to take an advantage of 3-1 in their playoff series of the Este Conference with the Milwaukee Bucks, who lost Damian Lillard due to a lower left leg injury.
Pacers can eliminate Milwaukee in the first round for the second consecutive year by winning game 5 on Tuesday in Indianapolis. Bucks have lost eight consecutive road playoff games and the last five of those defeats have arrived in Indiana.
Milwaukee could have to try to finish that streak without Lillard.
The seven-time All-NBA guard was helped outside the court and the locker room after suffering a contactless injury in the first quarter.
“Being honest, it is not very promising,” said Bucks coach, Doc Rivers, after the game.
Lillard’s preliminary examination indicated a possible Achilles tendon injury, a person with knowledge of the situation told Associated Press. The additional evaluation will be carried out on Monday, the person told the AP on anonymity because the team did not reveal those details in a prevented way.
The Pacers led 15-12 at the time of Lillard’s departure and confiscated control without him. Indiana triggered 60.2% from the floor, and eight pacemakers scored in double figures.
Aaron Nembhard had 20 points and Tyrese Haliburton had 17 points and 15 assists. TJ McConnell had 15 points, Aaron Nesmith 14 and Obi Toppin 13. Pascal Siakam and Jarace Walker added 12 points each.
Giannis Antetokounmpo de Milwaukee had 28 points, 15 rebounds and six assists before leaving with 4:44 remaining and the bucks following 120-98. Kevin Porter Jr. added 23 points for the Bucks.
Antekounmppo was the only head of the Bucks to score about six points. Kyle Kuzma continued his hard series by scoring three points and shooting 1 of 6.
Two nights after blowing a half-time advantage of 10 points in a defeat by 117-101 in Milwaukee, the Pacers recovered. They won convincingly despite the lack of Bennedict Mathurin, which was out with an abdominal bruise.
Turner, who had scored six points while shooting 1 of 9 from the floor in game 3, had nine points in the first four and a half minutes on Sunday when the Pacers never followed.
Pacers are used in a 10-3 race immediately after Lillard’s exit to extend its two-digit advantage. Milwaukee could not get the margin below five points for the rest of the first half and lost 63-52 at rest.
Indiana kept control the rest of the road shooting 69.2% in the second half.
This confrontation between two family enemies continued with the attack that has evident through this series.
A double coach was called Porter and Nesmith in the second quarter. Bobby Portis from Milwaukee received a mocking offense in the third period after stopping on Nesmith and trying to grab the ball of the Pacers striker, who had spill tasks on a trip to the basket. Ryan Rollins from Walker and Milwaukee received a double technician in the third period.
Associated Press reports.
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