Milwaukee down 2-0 as series shifts to Fiserv Forum
In a raucous Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Indiana Pacers held on against the Milwaukee Bucks, 123-115. They now hold a 2-0 series lead.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 34 points, along with 18 rebounds and seven assists. Pascal Siakam’s 24 points led the way for the Pacers.
Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.
What Did We Learn?
This defense is being stretched. The Pacers exploited Milwaukee on the defensive end numerous times, resulting in seemingly a countless number of shots. Both in Games 1 and 2, it seemed as if Milwaukee was unable to stick to the defensive rotations. They’d rotate the first and second time, but on the third or fourth occasion, Indiana would break through for an open shot. This is a series where the Bucks’ defense needs to remain fully engaged and for too many times in this one, they simply failed to do so.
Three Observations
Once again, Giannis did everything.
After putting forth a 36 point and 12 rebound performance in Game 1 (while shooting 60.9%), Antetokounmpo followed up with a 34 point, 18 rebound, and seven assist performance in Game 2. But obviously, the Bucks are down 2-0. It’s clear that while Giannis is the best player in the series, the next handful of players after him belong on the Pacers. Milwaukee’s in desperate need of their role players matching their counterparts on Indy. It helps that Damian Lillard is now back and registered 37 minutes, but if the Bucks are unable to get more sound contributions from players not named Giannis, they’re in dire trouble.
Kevin Porter Jr. had a night to forget.
Dovetailing off the point above, KPJ just didn’t have it. He simply seemed lost out on the court. He quickly coughed the ball up numerous times in the first half, providing the Pacers with points on a silver platter. He then would take some highly questionable shots, also resulting in some Pacers points on the other end. Then, to top it all off, he committed a bonehead act in the fourth by grabbing the ankle of Thomas Bryant on a fastbreak, resulting in a flagrant. It seems as if the KPJ that was present at the end of the regular season has yet to make an appearance in the postseason — and at this point, the Bucks need him to reappear.
Bobby Portis was massive off the bench.
One of the Bucks’ biggest positives was the performance of Bobby Portis. In 32 minutes of action, BP racked up a double-double consisting of 28 points and 12 rebounds. He also buried six threes, including some clutch ones late to really slice the Pacers’ deficit. Without his contributions, this one wouldn’t have been even close. As Lillard continues to gain his conditioning back, Portis’ scoring is greatly appreciated. It’s been great to see him make such a quick impact after his 25-game suspension.
Bonus Bucks Bits
- Kyle Kuzma and Taurean Prince simply don’t seem to be reliable enough to be getting starting minutes. It’s going to be interesting to see if Doc makes a change in Game 3. Per Eric Nehm, Doc Rivers did say that the slow starts warrant a change. Will he actually do it? We’ll see…
- Brook Lopez was a stifling presence on the defensive end, tallying four blocks on the night. Late in the first half, that translated into numerous scoring opportunities for Milwaukee. Without his efforts, this would’ve been a very long night for the Bucks.
- Jericho Sims saw eight minutes of action. His defensive efforts in those short minutes were some of the best on the team. It’ll be intriguing to see if Doc gives him a longer leash in Game 3.
- Yet again, turnovers killed the Bucks. They committed 19 compared to the Pacers eight. Given how the Bucks don’t force many turnovers themselves, giving up so many of their own absolutely kills them.
- For the second consecutive game, Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton exchanged pleasantries late this one. Get your popcorn ready for Friday night in Milwaukee.
Up Next
The series now shifts to Milwaukee for Game 3, which will be on Friday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CST. The action can be caught on ESPNU (Yes, you read that right), NBATV, and FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.