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The Milwaukee Bucks had an uphill battle in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Bucks faced the fiery Indiana Pacers without star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. In the end, Milwaukee’s season ended with a 120-98 Game 6 defeat on Thursday night. There are several culprits to analyze for the Bucks’ season-ending defeat, including defense, shooting, and the play of Patrick Beverley.
What went wrong for the Bucks in Game 6?
Milwaukee entered Game 6 with a slight confidence boost. They came off a 115-92 Game 5 victory despite missing Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard from the lineup. Veteran forward Khris Middleton shined with a 29-point-12-rebound double-double. For a moment, it looked as though the Bucks had a chance to make a series comeback. Yet, the Pacers ended those hopes on Thursday night.
Indiana put forth a commanding two-way performance that was the result of an all-around team performance. They had six players score in the double-digits. Tyrese Haliburton led the attack with 17 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds.
The Pacers received standout bench efforts from Obi Toppin and TJ McConnell. Toppin erupted for a team-high 21 points and eight rebounds, while McConnell amassed 20 points and nine assists. Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, and Pascal Siakam also had solid scoring nights, totaling 14, 15, and 19 points respectively.
Indiana shot 54.1 percent from the field and won the points-in-the-paint battle 60-46, a telling sign of how bad the Bucks needed Giannis Antetokounmpo’s interior presence. In addition, they held the Bucks to a lowly 25.9 percent on three-pointers.
Milwaukee received contributions from key role players in Game 6, just like they did in Game 5. Bobby Portis garnered a 20-point-15-rebound double-double, and Brook Lopez chipped in 20 points. However, Khris Middleton was not as hot as the previous game, totaling 14 points on the night.
Moreover, Damian Lillard returned to the lineup amid an Achilles injury, but his 28-point night was not enough to push the Bucks over the hump. There was one key player whose performance might have given Milwaukee an edge: Patrick Beverley.
Patrick Beverley’s polarizing showing from Game 6 Bucks-Pacers loss
Beverley ended the night with just six points and five assists after notching a 13-point-12-assist double-double in Game 5. The veteran guard shot 27 percent from the field and missed all three of his deep-range attempts.
If Beverley could have produced the way he did a game prior, the Bucks might have had a better chance to win. At the same time, he was not brought on the team to provide a big scoring boost, so his performance is understandable.
Beverley brings an edge on the defensive end, although he got a little too defensive when conversing with a fan toward the end of Thursday night’s game. Beverley seemed to be going back and forth with a fan behind the Bucks bench and appeared to ask the fan to toss him the basketball he was holding.
The fan threw Beverley the ball, and the veteran guard immediately threw it back with strong force:
Patrick Beverley just CHUCKED the ball at a fan after the Pacers eliminated the Bucks
pic.twitter.com/lYOsG74Hai
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 3, 2024
It seemed Beverley was frustrated about his team’s early postseason exit. Milwaukee’s injury luck and down performances are certainly upsetting, but Beverley can rest easy knowing a better squad will return in 2024-25.
Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play a single minute in the Bucks-Pacers series. Had he played, he would have made a tremendous impact. Antetokounmpo averaged 42.2 points and 13 rebounds against the Pacers during the 2023-24 regular season, per StatMuse.
The star forward happens to have some of his best moments against Indiana but unfortunately could not play after he sustained a calf injury shortly before the start of the NBA Playoffs. Like Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard dealt with a lower leg issue that kept him from his maximum capability.
Nevertheless, the stars look to recover during the offseason and come back strong for another run in 2025. All in all, the Bucks’ Game 6 defeat will not be the last fans hear of the team.
More must-reads:
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