Gary Trent Jr. ties Ray Allen’s postseason 3-point record in win
With their backs up against the wall, the Milwaukee Bucks did what they needed to do, knocking off the Indiana Pacers, 117-101. Gary Trent Jr. exploded with 37 points after being placed in the starting lineup. Giannis Antetokounmpo also matched that, scoring 37 of his own. Pascal Siakam led things for Indiana, finishing with 28 points.
Game Recap
To many Bucks fans’ satisfaction, Doc Rivers decided to shift things up with the starting lineup by replacing Taurean Prince with Gary Trent, who made an immediate impact. By the first timeout in the action, he had already tallied eight points. Shockingly, the Bucks went with a no Dame nor Giannis lineup late in the quarter — and shockingly, those minutes didn’t kill them. They actually wound up winning the minutes, 3-2. Going into the second quarter, things were dead even at 26 all.
With his two fouls, Giannis received an extensive break, finally checking in with 7:14 remaining in the half. Milwaukee’s switching allowed Indiana some simple basket scoring opportunities. In particular, they picked on Dame with Siakam at times. Additionally, the Bucks were unable to get any momentum generated from the 3-point line. Through the first two quarters, they were an abysmal 4/23 from downtown. That allowed Indiana to start creating some separation and eventually carry a 57-47 lead into halftime.
Gary Trent’s strong first half bled over into the beginning of the second. At the 8:06 mark, he surpassed the 20+ point mark for his 22nd point on a three. That shot also knotted everything up at 62 apiece. The combination of him and Giannis catapulted the Bucks in front and brought the necessary energy from the Fiserv Forum crowd. Despite going with a no Giannis, no Dame lineup yet again to close out the third, Milwaukee was able to snatch a double-digit lead going into the fourth, 86-75.
AJ Green’s 3-point shooting provided padding for Milwaukee to jumpstart the fourth. Those flames were fanned even further when Gary Trent returned to the action, hitting a three to stretch the Bucks’ lead to 102-85 with 5:50 left. That lead kept growing. An AJ Green at 3:33 left placed Milwaukee up by a firm 20 points. The final horn eventually sounded with the Bucks securing a 117-101 victory.
Stat That Stood Out
The Bucks needed a jolt after an uninspiring first two games and Gary Trent provided it for them. He replaced Taurean Prince in starting lineup and exceeded expectations from the opening tip. A quick eight points gave Milwaukee hope that seemed to be dormant ever since this series began. When the night was done, Trent ended up pouring in 37 points and nine threes, which tied Ray Allen’s record for most threes in a Bucks playoff game.
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