<p>MILWAUKEE — Jrue Holiday had 28 points and 14 assists, and the Milwaukee Bucks overcame the absence of Giannis Antetokoumpo to breeze past the Indiana Pacers 140-113 on Monday night for their seventh consecutive victory.</p>
<p>Antetokounmpo was sidelined by a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-milwaukee-bucks-san-antonio-spurs-giannis-antetokounmpo-indiana-pacers-123d5def42ff3bbb50255e09014eb6c9">sprained left knee.</a> Coach Mike Budenholzer said he thinks the reigning two-time NBA MVP got hurt during a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-milwaukee-bucks-pat-connaughton-jrue-holiday-san-antonio-spurs-59ab23f4da88df241a3011962f613a57">120-113 victory </a> over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.</p>
<p>“We’re hoping it’s shorter rather than longer, but we’ll see how these first 48 to 72 hours go and we’ll know more then,” Budenholzer said before Monday’s game.</p>
<p>With Antetokounmpo out of the lineup, Pat Connaughton made his first start of the season and collected 20 points and nine rebounds while shooting 6 of 7 from 3-point range. Khris Middleton had 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists.</p>
<p>The Bucks also played without reserve forward P.J. Tucker because of a sprained left ankle. Tucker played 12 minutes and was scoreless Monday in his second game <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-milwaukee-bucks-pj-tucker-dj-augustin-houston-rockets-427083547a8494ea23d2786430d68b22">since he was acquired in a trade with</a> Houston last week.</p>
<p>Indiana wasn’t close to full strength, either.</p>
<p>The Pacers were missing Malcolm Brogdon (sore lower back) and Myles Turner (sprained left ankle) and remained without T.J. Warren, who hasn’t played since Dec. 29 due to a stress fracture in his left foot.</p>
<p>Indiana coming off a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-doug-mcdermott-jimmy-butler-domantas-sabonis-indiana-pacers-cd6e23157cb9e69b7508afd6fb2c564a">109-106 overtime victory</a> at Miami on Sunday afternoon. Brogdon and Turner had both played in that game. </p>
<p>Even without Antetokounmpo, the Bucks made short work of the Pacers as Holiday recorded season highs in both points and assists.</p>
<p>Indiana’s Doug McDermott opened the game with a 3-pointer, but the Bucks scored the next 19 points and stayed in command the rest of the way.</p>
<p>The Bucks went 9 of 10 from 3-point range in the first 9½ minutes and led 48-26 by the end of the first quarter. That 48-point outburst represented the fifth-highest point total the Bucks have ever recorded in a single quarter.</p>
<p>Indiana got 22 points from Domantas Sabonis, 21 from Jeremy Lamb, 20 from McDermott and 19 from Caris LeVert.</p>
<p>TIP-INS</p>
<p>Pacers: While Jrue Holiday had arguably his best game of the season, his brothers on Indiana’s roster struggled. Justin Holiday hit consecutive 3-pointers in overtime to lead the Pacers past the Heat on Sunday, but he scored just three points and shot 1 of 10 (all 3-point attempts) on Monday. Aaron Holiday, was scoreless in 17 minutes and shot 0 for 7.</p>
<p>Bucks: Connaughton was making his 13th start in 322 career regular-season games. … The Bucks led 83-60 and matched their highest first-half point total of the season. … The Bucks are 9-0 against Central Division foes this season. They’re 36-3 against Central teams since the start of the 2018-19 season.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Pacers: Host Detroit on Wednesday for just their third home contest in their last 13 games.</p>
<p>Bucks: Host Boston on Wednesday in the first of two consecutive games with the Celtics. The Bucks haven’t faced the Celtics since <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-milwaukee-bucks-jayson-tatum-khris-middleton-boston-c3d1837f00d440a7eefac7c485c576fd">losing 122-121 at Boston</a> in their season opener.</p>
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