Shorthanded Bucks Can't Overcome Hot-Handed Pacers, Fall Behind 3-1 In Series Headed Back to Milwaukee

Losing Bobby Portis Jr. to ejection in the first quarter was the last thing the Milwaukee Bucks could have afforded against the Indiana Pacers in Game 4, as they couldn't rally on the road to even the series and now face elimination.

Apr 28, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots the ball over Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

If the Milwaukee Bucks thought having all three stars dealing with injuries — two out and one hampered — was hard enough, then actually taking the floor against the mostly-intact Indiana Pacers was a task they weren't prepared for the difficulty of.

Doc Rivers and company entered a hostile environment for the second straight game looking to steal a game on the road to reset the series and buy themselves more time for Giannis Antetokounmpo to return, and for about half of the game, that outcome was certainly feasible.

But the third quarter changed that.

At the half, the Bucks were down just three points. After being outscored by the Pacers by double digits, however, they fell behind by 13 heading to the third quarter, and despite their best efforts, couldn't quite get over the hump as Indiana secured a home win and 3-1 series lead.

Apr 28, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) shoots the ball over Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Indiana was led by Myles Turner, who knocked in seven 3s for 29 total points, while the Bucks leaned on Lopez's 27-point near-double-double in the absence of their stars, but ultimately fell just short, losing 113-126.

From the jump, both sides made clear that Game 4 was set to be a competitive one. Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard got things going from behind the arc, but Milwaukee responded with five straight points from Bobby Portis Jr. and Malik Beasley to take an early lead.

From there, the back-and-forth ensued, but it wasn't long before the shorthanded Bucks became even thinner.

After getting into it with Nembhard near the baseline following an out-of-bounds call, Portis Jr. was ejected, leaving Milwaukee with one less playmaker and a long ways to play — though it proved to be inconsequential at the end of the first quarter as it tied Indiana at 33 points a piece.

Bobby Portis vs. Andrew Nembhard. 👀

pic.twitter.com/AlZut1r87Q

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 28, 2024

The second quarter saw much of the same. It was a well-rounded showing on offense for the Bucks, who saw Beasley, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez all make three shots. Indiana's charge was led by Tyrese Haliburton and Turner, who cashed in two 3-pointers to help keep his team rolling, but neither side could pull away as the Pacers headed to halftime up by only three points.

And then it never got better for Milwaukee.

The third quarter, which saw Haliburton make three 3s and Khris Middleton take a trip to the locker room before returning to play, was a low point for the Bucks. Shorthanded and needing every point they could get, winning on the road seemed to slip further from attainability as shots missed.

Milwaukee finished the quarter scoring just 21 points — marking back-to-back quarters of hitting that low mark between both teams — and entered the final period of play down by 13 points.

In the fourth quarter, the Bucks threatened a comeback, coming within six points a few times early on, but a 3-point barrage from Turner kept the game out of reach. The Pacers built up a 15-point lead inside the final minute to all-but finalize the Bucks' defeat, and as the final buzzer sounded, they were in an even deeper hole than the one they entered the game in, losing 126-113 on the road.

Next up for the Bucks will be a trip back to Milwaukee, where they'll prepare to face the Pacers for Game 5 — hopefully with more reinforcements. A win there will force a Game 6 back in Indiana, but another loss will end Milwaukee's season.

Tipoff from Fiserv Forum is set for Tuesday evening in Milwaukee.