Myles Turner scored 29 points and Tyrese Haliburton added 24 to fuel the Indiana Pacers to a 126-113 victory over the undermanned Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round series in Indianapolis.
Turner sank seven 3-pointers for the sixth-seeded Pacers, who shot 51.2 percent from beyond the arc and 51.7 percent overall to seize a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven series. Game 5 is Tuesday in Milwaukee.
Haliburton made five 3-pointers despite being added to the injury report as questionable approximately 90 minutes before tipoff due to a balky back. He avenged an abysmal 1-for-12 performance from beyond the arc in Indiana’s 121-118 overtime victory in Game 3 on Friday.
Milwaukee’s Brook Lopez recorded 27 points and nine rebounds and Khris Middleton added 25 and 10, respectively.
Malik Beasley added 20 points for the third-seeded Bucks, who were short-handed due to the early ejection of Bobby Portis in addition to the absences of injured stars Damian Lillard and two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Lillard aggravated his Achilles late in the fourth quarter of Friday’s game, while Antetokounmpo has been sidelined since straining his left calf in a game on April 9.
Lopez’s putback trimmed Indiana’s lead to 67-66 early in the third quarter before Haliburton drained three consecutive 3-pointers to stake the Pacers to a 10-point lead. Milwaukee countered with a 10-5 run, highlighted by Lopez’s pair of 3-pointers, but Indiana scored 14 of the next 16 points.
The Bucks trailed 98-85 after three quarters but trimmed their deficit to six points. Turner answered with a long-range jumper and two 3-pointers to push Indiana’s lead to 108-94 with 7:27 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Pacers were not seriously threatened the rest of the way.
Portis was ejected after drawing two technical fouls on the same play with 5:01 remaining in the first quarter. Portis and Nembhard were whistled for technicals after exchanging shoves, but the former picked up another after slapping the latter in the head.
