Bucks vs Pacers Match Player Stats: Box Score & Recap

The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Indiana Pacers 134-123 on March 15, 2026 at Fiserv Forum. It was a wild one.

Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 31 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists before leaving with a knee injury. Bobby Portis exploded for 29 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

Aaron Nesmith led the Pacers with a game-high 32 points. Here is the full box score, every key player stat, and what decided this Central Division battle.

When Was the Last Bucks vs Pacers Game?

The most recent meeting came on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. The final score was Bucks 134, Pacers 123, in front of 15,898 fans.

The Pacers actually led at halftime, 65-62. They came out firing and took the first quarter 34-26.

Then Milwaukee took over. The Bucks won the second quarter 36-31, the third 40-31, and never looked back. A 15-3 run in the fourth quarter stretched a six-point lead to 119-101 with 8:45 left, and the game was effectively over.

Milwaukee outscored Indiana 76-58 in the second half. The Bucks’ biggest lead reached 19 points.

Giannis Was Dominant, Then Got Hurt

Giannis Antetokounmpo was everywhere. In just 23 minutes, he put up 31 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists, shooting 11 of 22 from the field.

Then came the scary moment. Late in the third quarter, Giannis landed awkwardly after completing a dunk. He stayed in briefly, dunked again, shot two free throws, and then headed to the locker room.

Bucks coach Doc Rivers said his guess was a hyperextended knee. Giannis himself said he believed he could have finished the game but chose to follow the training staff’s advice. He said he was not planning on getting imaging.

The injury was especially worrying because Giannis had already missed a career-high 31 games that season. He had two extended absences from right calf strains and had sat out the previous night’s loss at Atlanta with a sprained left ankle.

Milwaukee Bucks Player Stats

Giannis Antetokounmpo: 31 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists in 23 minutes before the knee injury. Simply unstoppable when on the floor.

Bobby Portis: 29 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, shooting 11 of 21 and 6 of 11 from three. The game changer.

Ryan Rollins: 20 points, 7 assists and 3 steals on 8 of 12 shooting. A breakout two-way performance.

Taurean Prince: 13 points on 5 of 7 shooting, including 3 of 5 from deep. Quietly efficient.

Myles Turner: 13 points and 4 rebounds, hitting 3 of 6 threes. Stretched the floor against his old team.

AJ Green: 12 points, all from beyond the arc on 4 of 7 three-point shooting. Instant offense.

Kyle Kuzma: 8 points and 8 assists in nearly 36 minutes. Did the playmaking dirty work.

Gary Harris: 6 points off the bench on 2 of 4 shooting from three.

Jericho Sims: 2 points and 3 rebounds in 14 minutes of backup center duty.

Indiana Pacers Player Stats

Aaron Nesmith: a game-high 32 points for the Pacers. Kept Indiana alive almost single-handedly.

Jay Huff: 16 points and 2 blocks off the bench. Provided rare rim protection for Indiana.

Jarace Walker: 14 points and 8 rebounds in a composed all-around showing.

The Pacers were badly shorthanded. Tyrese Haliburton was out for the season with an Achilles tear. Pascal Siakam missed the game with a knee injury, Andrew Nembhard was out with a calf injury, and Ben Sheppard sat with an ankle injury.

That is four rotation players, including two stars, watching from the sidelines. The Pacers’ depth was stretched past its limit against a Bucks team that smelled blood.

Team Stats That Decided the Game

Turnovers told the biggest story. The Pacers coughed it up 18 times, exactly double the Bucks’ 9. Those extra possessions were gold for Milwaukee.

Three-point shooting was a shootout both teams won. The Bucks hit 23 of 44 from deep (52 percent). The Pacers answered with 21 of 42 (50 percent). When both teams shoot like that, the team with fewer turnovers wins.

Milwaukee also controlled the paint, outscoring Indiana 38-30 inside. The Bucks shot 54 percent from the field overall.

Rebounds were dead even at 40-40. Assists went to the Pacers 34-31. But the turnover gap and Giannis’ interior dominance were too much to overcome.

Bucks Swept the 2025-26 Season Series 4-0

This was not a one-off. Milwaukee swept all four meetings with Indiana in the 2025-26 season.

November 3, 2025: Bucks 117, Pacers 115 at Fiserv Forum. A two-point thriller to open the series.

December 23, 2025: Bucks 111, Pacers 94 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Milwaukee’s most comfortable win.

February 6, 2026: Bucks 105, Pacers 99 at Fiserv Forum. A defensive grind.

March 15, 2026: Bucks 134, Pacers 123 at Fiserv Forum. The highest-scoring game of the four.

The sweep was sweet revenge. One year earlier, the Pacers had eliminated the Bucks 4-1 in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Milwaukee clearly had that series circled on the calendar.

Both teams struggled overall in 2025-26. The Bucks finished 32-50 and the Pacers 19-63 after their injury-ravaged campaign. But head to head, Milwaukee owned Indiana.

Key Takeaways From Bucks vs Pacers

Depth won the game: Bobby Portis’ 29-point bench explosion was the difference. Milwaukee’s second unit outplayed Indiana’s.

Turnovers killed the Pacers: 18 giveaways against a team that only committed 9 is a recipe for a loss every time.

Three-point barrage: both teams shot 50 percent or better from deep, combining for 44 made threes in a modern NBA shootout.

Injuries shaped everything: the Pacers missed four rotation players, and then the Bucks lost Giannis mid-game. Health will decide the next meeting.

Revenge complete: the 4-0 season sweep answered the Pacers’ 4-1 playoff series win from 2025. This rivalry is officially even on bad blood.

When Do the Bucks and Pacers Play Next?

Mark your calendar twice. The teams meet in the preseason on Friday, October 16, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis at 7 p.m. ET.

Then the real thing: Monday, October 26, 2026, when the Pacers visit the Bucks at Fiserv Forum at 8 p.m. ET to open the regular-season series.

The rematch has real intrigue. Tyrese Haliburton is back after missing all of last season with the Achilles tear. Pascal Siakam is healthy. The Pacers added Ivica Zubac at center.

The big question is Giannis’ knee. If he is fully healthy, Milwaukee starts as the favorite. If not, Indiana’s revenge tour begins early.

Conclusion

The March 15, 2026, game had everything: a halftime comeback, a bench explosion from Bobby Portis, a 32-point night from Aaron Nesmith, and a scary Giannis injury. Milwaukee’s second-half dominance turned a close game into a 134-123 statement win.

The Bucks swept the season series 4-0, but the story is not over. With Haliburton back and Giannis’ knee a question mark, the October 16 preseason and October 26 regular-season rematches could look very different.

One thing is certain: when these Central Division rivals meet, expect fireworks and dominant individual performances.

Bible Meaning Center

I am John Grisham, and through TheBiblimeaning.com, I share the deeper meanings, symbolism, and spiritual insights found within biblical names, verses, and stories. This platform is dedicated to helping readers explore God’s Word with clarity, faith, and understanding. My goal is to make biblical knowledge inspiring, accessible, and meaningful for everyone seeking spiritual growth.