NBA
Bucks rise from the grave behind record night from Trent Jr.
Milwaukee rallies from double-digit deficit as Trent Jr. ties Ray Allen’s franchise playoff record.
The Milwaukee Bucks are alive - and so is this series. With their backs against the wall, the 2021 champions roared back into contention on their home floor at Fiserv Forum, claiming Game 3 with a 117-101 win over the Indiana Pacers. The series now stands at 2-1, with all three games won by the home team and a pivotal stretch ahead: Game 4 is set for tomorrow, with Game 5 in Indianapolis on Tuesday.
But for more than half the night, it looked like the Bucks were still flatlining. Trailing by 12 early in the third quarter (47-59), Milwaukee’s shooting was abysmal – just 37% from the field (18/48) and an even uglier 4/23 from three. The Pacers, despite lacking the energy they showed at home, had done enough to maintain control, leaning on Pascal Siakam and Aaron Nesmith for 28 combined first-half points. It seemed that might be enough to seal the deal.
Until Gary Trent Jr. happened.
Trent Jr. sparks Milwaukee’s revival
Inserted into the starting lineup by Doc Rivers - replacing Taurean Prince – Trent Jr. was the game-changer. His presence reflected Milwaukee’s shift toward faster, smaller lineups in response to Indiana’s elasticity. Brook Lopez saw reduced minutes, while Rivers leaned heavily on three-guard sets featuring Damian Lillard, AJ Green, and Trent Jr., sacrificing size for speed and perimeter firepower.
And it worked... because, finally, the shots started falling.
Record time for Trent Jr.
Trent Jr. drained three triples in rapid succession to erase the deficit (62-62), then added two more to ignite a third-quarter blitz that left the Pacers reeling. Milwaukee outscored Indiana 39-18 in the period, turning a 12-point hole into an 86-75 lead. Trent Jr. alone matched Indiana’s entire scoring output for that stretch, finishing with 37 points and 9-of-12 from beyond the arc, tying Ray Allen’s franchise playoff record for threes in a single game.
It was the kind of performance fans had been waiting for from Lillard, who remained a non-factor with 7 points on 2-of-12 shooting. Instead, Trent Jr. carried the torch, alongside AJ Green, who added four triples of his own. Together, they punished Indiana’s sluggish defensive rotations, which struggled to double Giannis Antetokounmpo and recover.
And Giannis? Well, he was Giannis. The Greek superstar delivered 37 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists, shooting an efficient 14-of-19 from the floor. This time, though, he wasn’t left to fight alone.
Pacers lose their grip in the second half
Indiana, for their part, fell apart in the third quarter, a familiar problem for a team still learning to handle playoff intensity on the road. The Bucks flipped their three-point shooting from 4-of-23 in the first half to 11-of-18 in the second, including 5-of-8 in the decisive third quarter. Meanwhile, the Pacers managed just six total field goals (6-of-19) in that period.
Beyond Siakam’s 28 points and Nesmith’s solid first half (18 points total), Indiana offered little resistance. Tyrese Haliburton was again subdued with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists, but he failed to dictate the pace or capitalize on the pick-and-roll with Myles Turner, who also struggled. Indiana’s defense broke down at the worst possible moment, allowing Milwaukee back into the game... and into the series.
All eyes on Game 4
This series now hinges on tomorrow’s Game 4, where Milwaukee will attempt to level the series before it shifts back to Indiana. The Pacers must respond to avoid surrendering their early advantage, while the Bucks hope this third-game spark can ignite a full-blown comeback.
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
|
34
Giannis Antetokounmpo
|
|
18
Kyle Kuzma
|
|
11
Brook Lopez
|
|
0
Damian Lillard
|
|
5
Gary Trent Jr.
|
|
24
Pat Connaughton
|
|
20
AJ Green
|
|
44
Andre Jackson Jr.
|
|
3
Kevin Porter Jr.
|
|
9
Bobby Portis
|
|
12
Taurean Prince
|
|
13
Ryan Rollins
|
|
0
Jericho Sims
|
|
7
Chris Livingston
|
| Min | Pts | TR | OR | DR | Ast | Los | Rec | Blk | S1 | S2 | S3 | RF | CF | Val | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
34
Giannis Antetokounmpo
|
32 | 37 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 9/10 | 14/19 | 0/0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
18
Kyle Kuzma
|
20 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0/0 | 3/7 | 1/2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
11
Brook Lopez
|
14 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
0
Damian Lillard
|
31 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2/2 | 1/4 | 1/8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
|
5
Gary Trent Jr.
|
34 | 37 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6/7 | 2/4 | 9/12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
24
Pat Connaughton
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
20
AJ Green
|
25 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 4/8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
44
Andre Jackson Jr.
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
3
Kevin Porter Jr.
|
26 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1/2 | 0/3 | 0/2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
9
Bobby Portis
|
32 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0/0 | 5/9 | 0/4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
12
Taurean Prince
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
13
Ryan Rollins
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
0
Jericho Sims
|
14 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/1 | 2/2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
7
Chris Livingston
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
23
Aaron Nesmith
|
|
43
Pascal Siakam
|
|
33
Myles Turner
|
|
0
Tyrese Haliburton
|
|
2
Andrew Nembhard
|
|
13
Tony Bradley
|
|
3
Thomas Bryant
|
|
12
Johnny Furphy
|
|
16
James Johnson
|
|
0
Bennedict Mathurin
|
|
9
T.J. McConnell
|
|
26
Ben Sheppard
|
|
1
Obi Toppin
|
|
5
Jarace Walker
|
| Min | Pts | TR | OR | DR | Ast | Los | Rec | Blk | S1 | S2 | S3 | RF | CF | Val | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
23
Aaron Nesmith
|
26 | 18 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0/0 | 3/5 | 4/8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
|
43
Pascal Siakam
|
30 | 28 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1/3 | 9/15 | 3/4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
33
Myles Turner
|
24 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4/4 | 1/3 | 0/6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
0
Tyrese Haliburton
|
31 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0/0 | 1/2 | 4/9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
2
Andrew Nembhard
|
30 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2/2 | 2/7 | 0/1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
13
Tony Bradley
|
3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
3
Thomas Bryant
|
21 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/1 | 1/1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
12
Johnny Furphy
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
16
James Johnson
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
0
Bennedict Mathurin
|
13 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1/1 | 4/4 | 0/4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
9
T.J. McConnell
|
16 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/4 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
26
Ben Sheppard
|
15 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 1/4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
1
Obi Toppin
|
16 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2/3 | 4/5 | 0/4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
5
Jarace Walker
|
5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |