MILWAUKEE Bucks bucked the absence of several key players to defeat Indiana Pacers, 115-92, in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference first round series on Tuesday night (Wednesday in the Philippines) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Khris Middleton led the way with a double-double of 29 points and 12 rebounds, while Bobby Portis finished with a double-double of 29 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, which cut the series deficit to 2-3.
Malik Beasley tallied 18 points, Patrick Beverley ended with a double-double of 13 points and 12 assists, and Brook Lopez contributed 12 points for Milwaukee, which were without injured stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
Down 23-31 after the opening quarter, the Bucks turned things around in the second period behind Middleton, Portis, and Beverley to take a 53-48 lead at the half.
Milwaukee pulled away further in the second half with connections from Middleton, Portis, and Beasley as the lead reached as high as 25 points at 115-90.
Tyrese Haliburton finished with 16 points, Myles Turner added 13 markers, and Paskal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Obi Toppin ended with 12 apiece for the Pacers.
Meanwhile, Cleveland Cavaliers connected timely shots in the endgame to escape with a 104-103 win over Orlando Magic in Game 5, taking a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference first round series.
Down 97-98 with over a minute left, the Cavaliers got two inside conversions from Evan Mobley and a split free throw from Donovan Mitchell to take a 102-98 lead with 40 seconds remaining in the contest.
The Magic cut the deficit to 100-102 on a basket by Paolo Banchero, but the Cavaliers extended the lead to 104-100 with two free throws from Mitchell before Banchero connected a triple for the final score.
Mitchell top-scored for the Cavaliers with 28 points, Darius Garland added 23 markers, while Max Strus, Evan Mobley, and Marcus Morris Sr. ended with 16, 14, and 12 markers, respectively.
Philadelphia 76ers, on the other hand, kept their campaign alive with a 112-106 overtime win against New York Knicks, cutting the series deficit to 2-3. Tyrese Maxey tallied 46 points and nine assists in the win./PN
BOX SCORE:
MILWAUKEE 115 — Portis 29, Middleton 29, Beasley 18, Beverley 13, Lopez 12, Connaughton 9, Gallinari 4, Beauchamp 1, Jackson 0, Green 0.
INDIANA 92 — Haliburton 16, Turner 13, Nembhard 12, Siakam 12, Toppin 12, Sheppard 7, Nesmith 7, McConnell 6, Jackson 4, McDermott 3, Walker 0.
Quarterscores: 23-31, 53-48, 87-67, 115-92.
