For Game 2, the Indiana Pacers are gearing up to apply the insights gained from their playoff debut to steer their postseason journey.
Follow Us
For Game 2, the Indiana Pacers are gearing up to apply the insights gained from their playoff debut to steer their postseason journey back on course. Following a 109-94 defeat against the third-seeded Milwaukee Bucks (1-0) at Fiserv Forum on Sunday, Pacers players and coaches are determined that Tuesday’s game will unfold differently from their Game 1 loss.
In their Game 1 loss, the sixth-seeded Indiana team (0-1) found themselves in a deep 30-point hole early on. The Blue & Gold couldn’t contain All-Star guard Damian Lillard, who dropped 35 points in the first half. On top of that, they missed their first 13 shots from downtown, trailing by a whopping 27 points at halftime.
Although the Pacers managed to cut the deficit to 12 by the start of the fourth quarter, dominating the Bucks 29-14 in the third quarter, Milwaukee didn’t let them close the gap to single digits as the game wound down.
Counting the regular season, the Pacers’ 94-point performance marked their lowest scoring game of the 2023-2024 season and only the second time they’ve scored under 100 points in a game. Despite being the NBA’s highest-scoring team, the Pacers only managed a 39.6 percent shooting rate overall.
For the Bucks, Antetokounmpo and Galloway will not be playing the game. As for the Pacers, Mathurin will sit this one out.
In their previous encounter, the Milwaukee Bucks dominated the first half, leading by 27 points at halftime, powered by Damian Lillard’s 35-point first-half show. They maintained their momentum to secure a 109-94 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Pacers struggled with their shooting, managing just 39.6 percent overall, and a dismal 8-for-38 from beyond the arc. On the other hand, Milwaukee shot 51 percent in the first half and 47.1 percent for the game, knocking down 14 of 37 3-point attempts overall.
Lillard led the charge for the Bucks with 35 points, while Middleton added 23 points and 10 rebounds, and Portis, filling in for the injured Antetokounmpo, contributed 15 points and 11 boards.
On the Pacers’ side, Siakam led the way with 36 points and 13 rebounds, Turner chipped in with 17 points, and Haliburton rounded it off with nine points, eight assists, and seven rebounds. Indiana managed to outrebound Milwaukee 50-47 and also had the upper hand in points scored in the paint, leading 40-34.
Get the latest from Sportslumo.com by following us on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube
