Pacers Preparing for All Possibilities in Game 2.
The Pacers rolled to a convincing victory in Game 1 of their first round playoff against the Bucks on Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, but they know full well that their Game 1 dominance means nothing if they don’t back it up with another win on Tuesday night in Game 2.
Indiana led by as many as 28 in a 117-98 win on Saturday afternoon, but the Blue & Gold only need to reflect on last year’s series with Milwaukee to know how different the results can be from game to game.
The Bucks had homecourt advantage in 2024 and opened the series by trouncing an inexperienced Pacers team, leading by as many as 29 en route to a 109-94 win. But two days later, the Pacers flipped the script, handing the Bucks a 125-108 defeat in their own building.
The series shifted back to Indiana, the Pacers won Games 3 and 4 on their home floor and eventually closed out the Bucks in six games.
Now the roles are reversed and the Pacers know that they have to be ready for the Bucks to respond. When asked following Monday’s practice what his message was to his team about the challenge ahead in Game 2, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said they had to “expect hard.”
“Game 1 last year we got smacked pretty bad and then we responded well in Game 2,” Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “We expect them to throw a big punch in Game 2. We’ve got to be prepared for it.”
The Bucks will certainly make adjustments for Game 2 and may well get a big reinforcement in the form of nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard. Lillard has not played since March 18 due to a blood clot in his right calf, but was cleared to return to practice last week and has been ramping up his conditioning. Lillard, who ranked 10th in the NBA during the regular season in both scoring (24.9 points per game) and assists (7.1 per contest) did not play Saturday, but was upgraded to questionable for Game 2.
“You’re putting a first-ballot Hall of Famer into the lineup,” Carlisle said of the prospect of Lillard’s return.
Whether Lillard is back on Tuesday or not, it would not be a surprise to see Bucks head coach Doc Rivers make some tweaks to his starting lineup or rotation.
While two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had 36 points and 12 rebounds in Game 1, the Bucks’ other four starters combined for just 14 points, with Kyle Kuzma and Taurean Prince both going scoreless. Milwaukee got better production out of its second unit, with AJ Green, Gary Trent Jr., and Kevin Porter Jr. all scoring in double figures. Green went 5-for-11 from 3-point range, while Porter had five assists and got to the free throw line eight times.
The Bucks mounted a bit of a charge in the fourth quarter with a lineup that featured Antetokounmpo and four reserves, getting the deficit down to 12 points with a little over five minutes remaining and had several chances to trim the Pacers’ lead to single digits. It would not surprise Indiana to see the Bucks reserves get more minutes on Tuesday and the popular talking point at Tuesday’s practice was that the Pacers must be “ready for everything.”
“We know Game 2’s going to be a lot harder than Game 1,” Pacers center Myles Turner said. “Obviously it feels good to get the first one out the way, but the series is just getting started. Game 1 you get your baseline, you make adjustments from there, and then the real fun begins.”
Virtually every player who saw the floor for the Pacers gave them productive minutes in Game 1, but third-year guard Andrew Nembhard’s performance stood out. Nembhard set the tone early by attacking the rim with aggression and finished with 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting, four rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
“Every game I’m looking at being aggressive in the opportunities that I can get the ball,” Nembhard said. “Every time they swing it to me, I want to be effective scoring the ball. And if they stop that, I can make those passes. I always want to be aggressive on the court so I can open it up for other guys.”
Nembhard also was a standout performer during last year’s playoff run, hitting a number of big shots during Indiana’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals. Haliburton dubbed Nembhard a “playoff riser” on Monday, someone who is able to take their game to the next level in the postseason.
“We need everybody to have a heightened level of awareness, a heightened level of edge, everything else,” Carlisle said. “Andrew naturally has those things. He loves big games, he loves big moments. He’s shown that.”
If Lillard were to return for Game 2, Nembhard is the Pacers’ top perimeter defender and would likely draw the primary assignment of guarding the nine-time All-Star.
Gainbridge Fieldhouse was rocking for Game 1, with a sellout crowd donning gold shirts and doing their part to make the venue as hostile as possible for Milwaukee. Haliburton said he “got chills” from the energy in the building when the Pacers ran out onto the court, while Turner noted how the whole building started counting before each of Antetokounmpo’s free throw attempts (he went just 8-for-15 from the charity stripe) as one example of the unique edge the Pacers have when playing at home.
“Astronomical, enormous,” Turner said of the fans’ impact. “Even just the little stuff like counting on the free throws, you think it’s just fun and games, but when the entire crowd gets locked in on a moment like that, the energy and the momentum that comes with that that can shift, it’s crazy. It’s one of the best places to play basketball.”
Carlisle, meanwhile, implored fans to do like Nembhard and elevate their performance to the next level on Tuesday, knowing the task of beating the Bucks will be “exponentially tougher” the second time around.
“Our fans were great in Game 1,” Carlisle said. “We’ve got to do our job to make the building even louder for Game 2, knowing the level of challenge that’s going to be there.”
