Bucks 120, Pacers 116
INDIANAPOLIS -- Guard Khris Middleton scored a game-high 33 points, including two clinching free throws with 6.4 seconds remaining, and the Milwaukee Bucks held on for a 120-116 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Center Greg Monroe added 23 points for the Bucks (13-21), who lost to the Pacers by 37 points in November in Bankers Life.
Indiana (18-14), which closed within two points before Middleton's big free throws, trailed by as many as 16 points in the fourth quarter, losing for a second consecutive night.
Forward Paul George had 31 points for the Pacers, forward C.J. Miles added 19, guard George Hill scored 15, forward Lavoy Allen contributed 14 and guard Monta Ellis scored 13, although he was guilty of eight turnovers.
Milwaukee shot 58.4 percent from the field (45 of 77) and Indiana shot 50 percent (41 of 82).
The Bucks had lost 14 of 15 road games before beating the Pacers. Indiana played without center Ian Mahinmi (sore left knee) and Jordan Hill (dental work).
Milwaukee opened the fourth quarter on a 7-4 run to lead 96-81 with 8:41 to play. The Bucks continued to pull away, leading 111-95 with 4:41 remaining.
After taking a brief two-point lead, Indiana watched as Milwaukee finished the third quarter on a 28-14 run to grab an 89-77 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. Through 36 minutes, the Bucks were shooting 61 percent from the field (36 of 59), including a combined 18 of 23 from Middleton and Monroe.
Indiana got 3-pointers from Hill and Miles early in the third quarter to pull within 61-60 with 9:26 left in the period. George's 3-pointer gave the Pacers a brief 63-61 lead, but the Bucks countered with a 7-0 run that included a Middleton 3-pointer and a Monroe layup for a 68-63 advantage with 7:36 remaining in the quarter.
Getting 17 points from Monroe, 13 from Middleton and 11 from forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks led by as many as 13 during the first half and enjoyed a 59-52 advantage through 24 minutes.
Milwaukee shot 59 percent from the floor through the first two quarters (23 of 39), including a combined 12 of 15 from Monroe and Middleton.
Indiana got 12 points from Allen and 10 from Miles in the opening half but shot only 46.3 percent from the field (19 of 41) and turned the ball over 13 times, including five by guard Monta Ellis.
Allen and George were a combined 9 of 11 from the field, but their teammates were only 10 of 30. The Pacers outrebounded the Bucks 19-16 through the first 24 minutes.
Indiana's usually dominant bench outscored Milwaukee's only 13-9 during the first half, but the Bucks enjoyed a 30-18 advantage in points in the paint.
NOTES: Milwaukee was without F Damien Inglis (sore right ankle) and G Greivis Vasquez (post right ankle surgery). ... Indiana was playing the second of a back-to-back after dropping a 102-100 overtime decision on Wednesday night in Chicago. ... The Bucks entered 3-15 on the road and the Pacers came in 11-4 in Bankers Life Fieldhouse. ... Before playing the Bucks on Thursday, the Pacers were 13-5 against Eastern Conference teams, including 9-0 at home. ... Beginning with a Dec. 3 loss at Portland, the Pacers were 6-8 before playing Milwaukee. ... The Bucks are seventh in the NBA in field goal percentage (45.6). The Pacers are third in opponents turnovers per game (16.9). ... Before Thursday night, Indiana had beaten Milwaukee in eight of the nine most-recent meetings in Bankers Life Fieldhouse. ... The teams split four games last season, each winning once on the other's court.