Pacers In For Rough Match Against Surging Bucks In Indiana

The Indiana Pacers play host to the Milwaukee Bucks at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, Jan. 27, but it may take more than home-court advantage for them to get back on track.

For one, the Bucks are slowly getting their key players back, led no less by Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“The Greek Freak” led Milwaukee in their win over the Denver Nuggets, finishing with 33 points and 14 rebounds. Jrue Holiday provided help by adding 20 points and five caroms.

"I tried to enjoy the game. I feel I sometimes get too locked in. I think I've got to enjoy the game more. Usually when I enjoy the game more, I get to the free-throw line more, I get downhill more, I'm able to find my teammates more and just make better plays," Antetokounmpo stated after their win over Denver.

For the Pacers, they are coming off a loss to the Orlando Magic, 120-126.

Bennedict Mathurin came off the bench to lead Indiana with 26 points and four assists. Backing him up were Myles Turner and Buddy Hield who had 22 and 21 points respectively.

"Lousy first quarter. We've got to get off to better starts," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "They hit us with a lot of shots, drives to the basket, and we were on our heels. The second night of a back-to-back is not an excuse because we've been good all year in those situations."

The Bucks are -8 favorites to win over the Pacers who are at +8. The Moneyline set for this matchup is -341 for Milwaukee and +269 for Indiana.

The Bucks lead their regular season series 1-0, winning in their first encounter earlier this January.

The Pacers brace for the Bucks on Friday at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. E.T. The game will be shown via NBA League Pass with live streaming also available thru fuboTV.