Gary Trent Jr. Rains 3s, Ties Bucks Playoff Record in Game 3 Stunner Against Pacers

Gary Trent Jr. set fire to the court Friday night, tying the Milwaukee Bucks' playoff record by draining nine 3-pointers and racking up 37 points in a high-voltage 117-101 Game 3 win over the Indiana Pacers. Giannis Antetokounmpo matched Trent's scoring with 37 of his own, helping the Bucks slice the Pacers' series lead to 2-1.

Indiana actually looked in control at halftime, up 57-47, but Trent lit up the third quarter with a trio of threes that erased the deficit in a flash. The Bucks surged ahead 72-69 after a classic Giannis three-point play and never looked back, finishing the third with an 86-75 advantage.

The Bucks’ lead ballooned to 20 in the final period, and Trent finished a sizzling 9-for-12 from deep, tying Hall of Famer Ray Allen's franchise record for threes in a postseason game. The guy was basically auditioning for a heat-check tutorial video.

Giannis wasn't just scoring—he pulled down 12 rebounds and set the tone for a Milwaukee squad that’s now won a much-needed game at home. A.J. Green added 12 points, while Bobby Portis chipped in 10 as the Bucks faced off against Indiana for the 18th time in the last two seasons. Clearly, these teams are on a never-ending coffee date.

Indiana, who bounced the Bucks from the playoffs in the first round last year, had momentum after winning five of the last six postseason meetings. This time, Pascal Siakam put up 28 points and Aaron Nesmith added 18 for the Pacers, while Tyrese Haliburton double-dipped with 14 points and 10 assists.

Milwaukee's offense looked shaky early—missing 19 of their first 23 3-point attempts—but completely flipped the script after halftime, going 11-for-18 from deep in the second half. Talk about a Jekyll-and-Hyde shooting night.

Bucks star Damian Lillard, meanwhile, had a rough game, finishing with just seven points on 2-of-12 shooting and hitting only one of his eight three-point tries. Sometimes, even All-Stars have nights when the rim seems to have a lid on it.

With Game 4 looming, Milwaukee will look to even the series at home on Sunday. If Gary Trent Jr. keeps this up, the Pacers might start checking his shoes for jetpacks.