Indianapolis, IN (Betting Express) - Danny Granger led all scorers with 35 points and grabbed nine rebounds, as the
Indiana Pacers defeated the
Milwaukee Bucks, 115-108, in the season finale for both teams at Conseco Fieldhouse.
Brandon Rush donated 24 points, while Troy Murphy and Stephen Graham each went for 11 points apiece for the Pacers (36-46), who won four of six to close out the season. Murphy also had a game-high 12 boards.
"It was a great finish with a terrific crowd," Pacers head coach Jim O'Brien said. "The group we had in there in the fourth quarter did a very good job."
Jarrett Jack had a team-high 10 assists to go along with eight points in the win.
Richard Jefferson led Milwaukee (34-48) with 31 points, while Luc Mbah a Moute had 19 points and 11 rebounds. The Bucks, who had a brief two-game winning streak halted, dropped five of seven overall to close their campaign.
"We played very good defense through the third quarter, combined with them missing some shots," Jefferson said. "And then we came out in the fourth quarter and didn't do those things. We just didn't do anything to make things go right for us."
Charlie Bell finished with 16 points, six boards and six assists in defeat.
In the third quarter, with Indiana ahead, 60-51, after a Murphy jumper, the Bucks exploded for 20 in a row and surged ahead, 71-60, near the midway point. Milwaukee led by an 88-72 margin after three quarters.
Then, in the fourth, a Francisco Elson layup put the visitors up 97-83 with 6:47 to play. However, a Rush make sent the Pacers on a 12-0 run to get the hosts within two with 4:37 remaining.
Bell's layup with 3:39 left put the Bucks ahead by a 101-97 margin, but back- to-back three-pointers by Granger gave the hosts a two-point advantage. Mbah a Moute's dunk tied the game with 2:40 on the clock, but Rush's trey put Indiana ahead for good at 106-103.
The Bucks held a 25-24 lead after one quarter, but Indiana came back to claim a 56-49 advantage heading into the break.
Game Notes
Milwaukee ended the season at 12-29 on the road...The Pacers closed out the campaign with a 25-16 mark...Both teams split four matchups this year...Indiana has won 11 of 15 over the Bucks, including nine in a row at Conseco Fieldhouse.
