MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Bucks, without the serrvices of Giannis Antetokounmpo (left calf strain) and Damian Lillard (right Achilles strain), avoided elimination Tuesday night, defeating the Indiana Pacers, 115-92, in Game 5 of this NBA first round series.

Milwaukee now trails 3-2 in the series. Game 6 will be Thursday.

With scoring oppportunities abound, and a short bench, Bobby Portis and Khris Middleton took advantage, each scoring 29 points for Milwaukee in the Game 5 win. The Bucks defied the odds, as teams in the postseason missing their top-2 scorers from the regular season haad been 0-13, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information, including a Bucks loss in Game 4.

Antetokounmpo has not played in Milwaukee's first-round series after he strained his left soleus muscle three weeks ago during a game against the Boston Celtics.

Antetokounmpo ran on the court during a workout on Sunday morning for the first time since the injury, which went well, according to Bucks coach Doc Rivers. However, leading up to Tuesday's game, Rivers said Antetokounmpo did not do much on the court.

"Did some shooting," Rivers said before Tuesday's game. "Did more after I left, so I didn't really see it."

Lillard was on the floor at Fiserv Forum during his usual warmup time on Tuesday morning, putting up some shots and moving around the court slowly. He has shed the walking boot he wore on his right Achilles following Game 3, when he re-agitated the injury in the fourth quarter, but Rivers said Lillard did not go through a full workout on Tuesday.