Pacers vs. Bucks Preview
Milwaukee, WI (AP) – After putting up their second-largest point total of the season, the Indiana Pacers appear to be gaining confidence.
The Milwaukee Bucks might be losing some with the way they’re playing offensively.
The Pacers head to Milwaukee looking to avenge one of their worst offensive efforts of the season and avoid a sixth consecutive loss to the Bucks on Wednesday night.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the Bucks 2-point spread favorites for Wednesday’s game against the Pacers. Current NBA Public Betting Information shows that 68% of more than 354 bets for this game have been placed on the Pacers +2.
Indiana reached double digits in victories – something it failed to do last season until Jan. 2 – with a 124-100 win over Toronto on Monday night. It was the Pacers’ highest offensive output since defeating Denver 144-113 on Nov. 9.
“The good thing is, the guys in the locker room are not happy being 10-9,” coach Jim O’Brien said. “It’s good to have a winning record, but I think if you ask anyone in a Pacers uniform, if we had done the things that we did tonight on a regular basis, it would be a lot better than a game over .500.
“They’re starting to click. If they can continue to click in all phases then we’ll be a playoff team.”
Brandon Rush, selected 13th overall in the 2008 draft, is showing signs of coming around, scoring a season-high 26 points while making 6 of 8 from 3-point range against the Raptors.
Rush is averaging 9.1 points over his career, but he’s scored 20.7 per game in the last three while hitting 12 of 19 from beyond the arc.
“Larry Bird said to him a couple weeks ago, ‘You’re playing like the guy I thought I drafted,'” O’Brien said. “He’s playing great. He’s playing really strong defense and scoring off the dribble.”
Danny Granger, who leads the team with 21.4 points per contest, scored 21 on Monday after totaling 22 over the previous two games on 27.6 percent shooting.
“I’m not worried about where my shot is, it’s always going to be there,” Granger said. “It’s just a matter of what kind of shots I’m taking. I have to mix up how many (3-pointers) I’m taking, when I’m attacking, and different things like that.”
Granger shot just 6 of 17 and had 19 points in a 94-90 defeat to Milwaukee on Nov. 5. The Pacers were held to 30 second-half points and shot 38.7 percent overall – their second-worst effort of the season – en route to their fifth consecutive loss in the series.
The Bucks are the team having trouble scoring lately, having tied a season low with 35 first-half points in an 88-78 loss to Miami on Monday night.
Milwaukee (7-13), which has lost eight of 10, was held to 34.6 percent from the field and fell to 1-9 when scoring less than 90. The Bucks have shot 38.3 percent over the last nine games, averaging 87.8 points.
“We’re getting good looks, but we just can’t knock them down,” said Brandon Jennings, held to 13 points after scoring 27 against Orlando on Saturday. “It’s starting to be every other game now. Some days we make shots, some days we don’t.”
Andrew Bogut registered 11 points and 13 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double since missing five games with back spasms.
Bogut, who missed the Bucks’ previous matchup with Indiana due to a migraine, is averaging 20.1 points and 13.9 boards in his last seven games versus the Pacers.
Though the Bucks have had issues putting points on the board, they are allowing an NBA-low 89.1 points per game at home.
Milwaukee has taken the previous four meetings against the Pacers at the Bradley Center.
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