Milwaukee Bucks can get encouragement from unexpected star performance

Imagine if someone said the Milwaukee Bucks would blow out the Indiana Pacers with Damian Lillard and Brook Lopez combining for seven points.

Milwaukee fans can thank Gary Trent Jr. Not Lillard. Not Kyle Kuzma. Not Brook Lopez. But the veteran guard picked up from the Toronto Raptors. Trent exploded for 37 points Friday night, going 9-of-12 from 3-point range and tying Ray Allen's franchise record from the arc in his playoff debut as a Bucks starter.

Giannis Antetokounmpo got the complementary superstar performance he needed. His 37-point performance wasn't in vain, as Trent's postseason career-high willed Milwaukee from avoiding a 3-0 deficit. This was the first time in franchise history that two players each recorded at least 35 points in the same playoff game.

"This is one of the most confident players I've played with," Lillard said about Trent in the postgame interview. "He's an unshakeable guy. His confidence is steady, his work ethic is steady. He's a guy that's not gonna fold up. When moments come, he'll be there. That's the one thing that I would've stood on it with Gary."

While it's unlikely that Trent will replicate record-breaking performances, this should give the Bucks confidence. Still, players like Lillard and Kuzma need to be better offensively. Single-digit performances from the stars won't be enough to overcome a team like Indiana.

The Bucks host Game 4 Sunday night.

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