Bucks at Pacers
All-Star small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will have to carry even more of the scoring load with sidekick Jabari Parker done for the season, and he aims to follow up a 41-point performance when the Milwaukee Bucks visit the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. Parker was declared out for the rest of the campaign on Thursday due to a torn ACL in his left knee, and Antetokounmpo stepped up with a career-best scoring effort in Friday's 118-110 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Antetokounmpo's huge effort couldn't prevent Milwaukee from losing for the 12th time in 14 games as the hangover from the loss of Parker loomed over the squad. It was the 12th 30-point effort of the season for the 22-year-old, who has emerged as one of the league's top players during his fourth NBA campaign. Indiana fell 112-107 to Washington on Friday for its second straight defeat following a season-best seven-game winning streak and has upcoming contests against San Antonio, Cleveland and the Wizards prior to the All-Star break. "It will help prep us if we can get playoff-tested, battle-tested," All-Star forward Paul George told reporters after Friday's defeat. "To win and pick up some of these games headed into the playoffs, we will be right where we need to be."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Milwaukee, FSN Indiana
ABOUT THE BUCKS (22-30): Parker averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists after regaining his form following the first ACL injury to his left knee 25 months ago. Outside of Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee's other four starters tallied just 20 points against the Lakers while rookie Thon Maker (seven points in 17 minutes) made his third career start in Parker's absence. Shooting guard Khris Middleton scored six points in 21 minutes off the bench in his second game of the season after hamstring surgery, and Milwaukee hopes he quickly recaptures the form that saw him average a career-best 18.2 points last campaign.
ABOUT THE PACERS (29-24): George scored 31 points in the loss to Washington for his fifth 30-point effort in the last 10 games. Although Indiana allowed an average of 122 points in the consecutive losses, the 26-year-old was highly displeased about the club's rebounding effort after Friday's defeat - even though the Wizards' edge was just 46-42. "We're not tough enough," George told reporters. "This has been an issue for us all season long. We're really struggling. We're just not tough enough. Got to get grittier. We've got to get nasty on these boards."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Antetokounmpo recorded 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds when the Bucks registered a 125-107 victory over the Pacers on Nov. 3.
2. Milwaukee allowed 47 first-quarter points in the loss to the Lakers, matching the most surrendered in any period this NBA season.
3. Indiana swingman C.J. Miles scored three points on 1-of-6 shooting against the Wizards after tallying 23 and matching his season high of six 3-pointers in a loss to the Cavaliers two nights earlier.