Gary Trent Jr. tied a franchise playoff record with nine 3-pointers and scored 37 points, matching Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 37, as the Milwaukee Bucks pulled away for a 117-101 win over the Indiana Pacers to cut the series deficit to 2-1.
Trent, making a rare start, caught fire from deep and played key defense on Tyrese Haliburton, helping hold the Pacers’ star in check. “My mindset was just to come in and get a win," Trent said. "Let him know you’re there and try to take him out of his game.”
Bucks coach Doc Rivers praised Trent’s energy on both ends. “We wanted somebody aggressive to attack Haliburton. I thought he did that," Rivers said.
The Pacers led by 10 at halftime, but Milwaukee stormed back behind Trent’s hot shooting early in the third. Antetokounmpo’s three-point play gave the Bucks a 72-69 lead, and they never trailed again, outscoring Indiana 70-44 in the second half.
Trent finished 9 of 12 from behind the arc, tying Ray Allen’s postseason record for threes made in a game. Antetokounmpo added 12 rebounds, while A.J. Green scored 12 points and Bobby Portis added 10.
“We have to stay humble,” Antetokounmpo said. “It's just one game.”
Pascal Siakam had 28 points, and Aaron Nesmith added 18 for Indiana. Haliburton finished with 14 points and 10 assists but struggled to find a rhythm. The Pacers, who ousted Milwaukee in the first round last season, host Game 4 on Sunday.
Milwaukee, despite a rough shooting start, caught fire after halftime, going 11 of 18 from deep. Damian Lillard struggled, scoring just seven points on 2-of-12 shooting.
Game 4 is in Milwaukee on Sunday, April 27, at 9:30 pm ET on TNT.
