INDIANA Pacers cruised to a wire-to-wire 123-115 Game 2 victory over Milwaukee Bucks to extend their lead in the NBA Eastern Conference first round series on Tuesday night (Wednesday in the Philippines) at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Paskal Siakam tallied a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Tyrese Haliburton added 21 markers and 12 assists as the Pacers took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Andrew Nembhard also made his presence felt for the Pacers with 17 markers, while Aaron Nesmith, Myles Turner, and Bennedict Mathurin ended with 16, 15, and 14 points, respectively.
The Pacers set the tone early with conversions from Siakam and Haliburton for a 40-30 advantage. The Bucks managed to trim the deficit to 60-64, but Indiana answered with baskets from Nembhard and Haliburton to make it a 68-60 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Pacers continued their run as they stretch the lead to 115-100 on a three-pointer by Obi Toppin. The Bucks made their last push but only trim the deficit to as low as eight points.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 34 points, 18 rebounds, and seven assists, Bobby Portis Jr. added 28 markers, while Damian Lillard and Kyle Kuzma had 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Lakers bounced back with a 94-85 victory over Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2 of their Western Conference first round series, tying it at 1-1.
Luka Doncic tallied 31 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists to lead the Lakers, LeBron James added 21 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, and Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura contributed 16 and 11, respectively.
Julius Randle paced the Timberwolves with 27 points, while Anthony Edwards contributed 25 markers in the defeat.
Oklahoma City Thunder also took a 2-0 series lead in the West after an 118-99 Game 2 domination over Memphis Grizzlies. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander top-scored for the Thunder with 27 points./PN
BOX SCORE:
INDIANA 123 — Siakam 24, Halliburton 21, Nembhard 17, Nesmith 16, Turner 15, Mathurin 14, Toppin 7, McConnell 6, Walker 3, Bryant 0.
MILWAUKEE 115 — Antetokoumpo 34, Portis 28, Lillard 14, Kuzma 12, Porter 9, Lopez 8, Prince 6, Trent 4, Sims 0, Green 0.
Quarterscores: 40-30; 68-60; 99-87; 123-115.
