Bucks at Pacers
Less than 24 hours after suffering a disappointing road loss, the Indiana Pacers begin a two-game homestand Thursday against Milwaukee. The Pacers were heading toward their third straight win Wednesday in Chicago before blowing a seven-point lead in the final two-plus minutes of regulation and giving up a decisive alley-oop in the closing moments of overtime for a 102-100 loss.
The defeat dropped the Pacers to 7-9 on the road, and they are nearing a stretch in which they play nine of 11 away from home. George Hill scored 20 points and Paul George had 19 for Indiana, which was without second-leading scorer C.J. Miles (back) and reserve big man Jordan Hill (dental work). The Bucks have dropped three in a row for the fifth time this season after a 131-123 setback at Oklahoma City on Tuesday. They have yet to lose four straight in 2015-16 but will finally suffer that fate if they cannot improve dramatically from the last time these teams met on Nov. 21, when Indiana produced a 123-86 victory.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FSN Indiana
ABOUT THE BUCKS (12-21): Defense remains a major issue for the disappointing Bucks, as evidenced by the manner in which the Thunder carved them up Tuesday, spoiling a remarkable night for Khris Middleton (career-high 36 points). "I was just trying to be aggressive and get the team back in the game," Middleton told the media. "We're not going to be able to win with just one man doing everything, though. We need to play as a team and figure it out." Opponents are averaging 115 points against Milwaukee during its losing streak and the Pacers made 15-of-30 3-pointers in their 37-point rout of the Bucks earlier in the season.
ABOUT THE PACERS (18-13): George played 42 minutes - tied for a season high - against the Bulls, which likely won't help him emerge from a relatively lackluster stretch. He is averaging 13 points while shooting 27.7 percent over a five-game slump and is no longer getting to the foul line at the usual clip. One of 11 players in the league to have attempted at least 200 free throws entering Wednesday, the two-time All-Star has managed just 14 tries - making eight - during the downturn.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pacers PG George Hill has at least three steals in four straight games.
2. Indiana PF/C Jordan Hill had 20 points while shooting 9-of-10 in the earlier win over Milwaukee.
3. Middleton is 13-of-22 from long range during a four-game hot streak.