Pacers outlast Antetokounmpo and Bucks to go 4-1 on homestand

The Pacers are 6-3 after the first two weeks of the season. Key points on the game and Mathurin's play, plus notes on Bally Sports and the NBA Draft.

The Pacers debuted their City Edition court.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was tracking for not just his best regular-season performance, but also a franchise record.

The two-time MVP and NBA champion had his way for most of the game against whomever was guarding him. It didn’t matter. He got to the basket at will and visited the free throw line almost as much as the Pacers did as a collective.

But without superstar Damian Lillard and on a second night of a back-to-back, as both teams were, Antetokounmpo was slowed by the Pacers just enough in the final minutes.

The Pacers (6-3) trailed by 10 with 7:08 to play and then Antetokounmpo scored consecutive layups with five minutes to go. After that, it was all Indiana and he didn’t score again.

They finished the game on a 16-4 run (throwing out a Khris Middleton 3-pointer in the final second) to come back and outlast a team that has dominated the series since 2018. Despite Antetokounmpo going off for 54, one point shy of his career high, the Pacers won 126-124 to end a five-game home losing streak to the Bucks.