How Pacers And Myles Turner Earned Game 4 Win Vs Bucks

MILWAUKEE – As the Indiana Pacers rested in their failure and reacted to their Game 3 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, reserve center Thomas Bryant sat at his locker in relative silence. The Bucks had just won their first game of the series and made the score in the best-of-seven set 2-1.

Bryant, who played a playoff career high 21.5 minutes in the Game 3 loss, eventually tilted his head up and had a message for himself. “We’re leaving here with something,” he said to no one.

The Pacers had just one day after Game 3 to prepare for Game 4. They had a lot to work on – the second half they played last Friday was a mess as they fell by 16 points. Yet late Sunday night, after a day of film and practicing, Indiana thumped Milwaukee by 26 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. They are one game away from moving beyond the first round. Bryant was right, the Pacers left Milwaukee with something – a key road victory.

“We knew what got us out of our ordinary offensive rhythm and defensive rhythm. We stabilized that and figured that out,” Bryant said of what gave him the confidence the team would respond. They talked about coming out of halftime with the right energy and did so in Game 4.

What the Pacers did better in Game 4

For the Pacers, Game 4 was all about erasing mistakes. Game 3 had many of them. Indiana worked in isolation more than they had in nearly any game the entire season – yet hate playing that way. Multiple members of the roster used the word “stagnant” to describe their offensive issues in Game 3, alarming diction for a team that hopes to play fast and lead the league in passes.

Two days later, the blue and gold were back to looking like themselves. The ball moved as the Pacers racked up 36 assists, the third-most in the franchise’s playoff history. They made more than 60% of their shots, a great result made possible by better process. Indiana’s shots were open and reliable thanks to their ball and player movement.

Role players made the most of their chances as Andrew Nembhard (20 points), Aaron Nesmith (14), Jarace Walker (12), T.J. McConnell (15), and Obi Toppin (13) all scored in double figures while shooting over 50% from the field. Some would call that an outlier night. Others would look at the quality of the shot attempts and register that the Pacers played an excellent offensive game during the fourth battle of the series.

“I thought we did a good job moving the ball,” Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton said after the game. He had 15 assists. “I thought we responded the right way today. Came out in the third quarter with the right energy, the right attitude, and we were able to get a win.”

Defensive growth came too. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee’s star player, was limited to just eight points by halftime. Pacers All-Star forward Pascal Siakam made him work, the team’s coverages were as good as they’ve been all series.

Gary Trent Jr, who had 37 points in Game 3 for the Bucks, was limited to six in Game 4. The Pacers stuck with him as he roamed beyond the arc. Kevin Porter Jr and Bobby Portis wiggled free a few times, but in general the blue and gold were connected and physical on defense.

Milwaukee’s 103 points were their second-fewest in the series. 41.6% of their shots went in, the team’s worst figure to date in the best-of-seven set. After the Pacers gave up a 70-point half on Friday, they were far better defensively on Sunday.

“I just thought the team functioned so much better today,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game. “We were more locked in tonight.”

In just two days, the Pacers went from their lowest point in the series to playing an exemplary 48-minute game. They never let up, and it has them up 3-1 over the Bucks with, at most, three games left in the series. Indiana needs one more victory to advance and play the Cleveland Cavaliers in round two. Like Bryant said, they left Milwaukee with something: a pivotal win.

The wire-to-wire victory was guided by Myles Turner, the Pacers starting center and an X-Factor in the series. He struggled in Game 3 and didn’t like his performance but trusted his shots and process. It was one of his worst postseason outings in this era of Pacers basketball.

In Game 4, Turner was phenomenal. From a macro view, he showed the skills that make him one of the more unique bigs in the NBA. He made jumpers – particularly in the mid-range but also canned a three. His passing and decisiveness in the middle of the floor were spot on. Turner upped the physicality and volume of his screens. He unlocked the offense and finished plays.

Defensively, he was a monster. Turner had four blocks and had many star-esque stops on Antetokounmpo near the rim. He switched when screened and covered the paint. Turner’s two most common matchups in the Bucks’ starting lineup, Brook Lopez and Antetokounmpo, shot 4/10 with Turner as the closest defender.

On both ends, the veteran center was outstanding. “He was big time,” Haliburton said of Turner. “He set the tone with a couple of early buckets.”

Yet it was the micro things in Turner’s performance that stood out. He set the tone in both halves of the game with loud plays. In the first half, he scored nine of the Pacers first 13 points. That got Indiana going early and forced Milwaukee to stick with him defensively, which opened up the floor. The blue and gold rolled to 30 first-quarter points.

To kick off the second half, Turner had the offensive highlight of the game when he threw down a monster dunk with Antetokounmpo nearby. It was just 20 seconds into the third quarter, and the Pacers bench leapt up in excitement. “That was just juice that filled us, we came into the game with good energy,” forward Obi Toppin said of the emphatic slam. The Pacers scored a game-high 38 points in that frame, and Turner’s block less than 3.5 minutes into the period helped Indiana extend their lead to 13.

The 10-year veteran finished the night with 23 points on 9/13 shooting. He added three assists and five rebounds, and the Pacers won his minutes by 12. Turner guided the group and got them on track as they took control of the series.

“I was aggressive offensively, picking and choosing my spots,” Turner said postgame. “Made some shots… sometimes it’s a make or miss league. Missed a lot of shots last game, made a lot of shots this game. The difference was staggering.”

Friday night, the Pacers were at a low point. But Bryant had the right mentality and Turner had a terrific game. Now, Indiana needs just one more strong performance to advance to the second round. They’ll get their first chance Tuesday night in Indianapolis.