by Wheat Hotchkiss
After splitting a pair of games in Milwaukee, the Pacers return to Indianapolis to host two pivotal playoff games this weekend at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Sixth-seeded Indiana secured homecourt advantage in the best-of-seven series with the third-seeded Bucks thanks to a 125-108 Game 2 victory.
But now, the Blue and Gold must defend their home court, starting with Game 3 on Friday evening. Friday’s game will be the first playoff game hosted at Gainbridge Fieldhouse since 2019 (the Pacers made the playoffs in 2020, but the postseason that year was held entirely in the NBA bubble in Orlando due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
Pacers center Myles Turner is one of just two players remaining on the roster from that team. Less than an hour after Tuesday’s win, Turner was already looking ahead to Friday.
“I’m just excited to get back to Gainbridge,” Turner said. “It’s going to be a hell of an environment in there. I’ve been waiting a long time to give the home fans what they reserve. And I’m just really, really excited for that environment.”
The Pacers are riding high after a stellar Game 2 performance. Indiana shot 55.6 percent from the field, went 16-for-36 (44.4 percent) from 3-point range, scored 52 points in the paint, and dished out 38 assists while committing only six turnovers.
Though the Blue and Gold are a young team with limited playoff experience, veteran forward Pascal Siakam has provided a reliable and calming presence over the start of this series. Siakam played in 61 playoff games over seven seasons in Toronto (more than double the playoff experience of any other player on the roster) and his first two postseason appearances as a Pacer have been his best games yet.
He was a lone bright spot in Indiana’s 109-95 loss in Game 1, dropping 36 points and 13 rebounds. He followed that up with 37 points, 11 boards, and six assists in Game 2, joining a list with Reggie Miller as the only players in franchise history to score 35 or more points in consecutive NBA playoff games.
The biggest question mark hanging over this series is if and when Giannis Antetokounmpo will return to the lineup for the Bucks. The two-time MVP sat out the first two games of the series with a calf injury and his status for Friday is unknown.
Without Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have relied heavily on eight-time All-Star Damian Lillard. Lillard has largely delivered, dropping 35 points in the first half of Game 1 and 26 points over the first two quarters of Game 2. But in both games, he’s seemingly run out of gas in the second half.
If Antetokounmpo is able to return, that would lighten the load on Lillard’s shoulders. If not, the Bucks will likely need other players to share more of the scoring load to win a game in Indianapolis.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Aaron Nesmith, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Bucks: G – Damian Lillard, G – Patrick Beverley, F – Khris Middleton, F – Bobby Portis, C – Brook Lopez
Injury Report
Pacers: Bennedict Mathurin – out (right shoulder labral tear)
Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo – TBA (left soleus strain)
Last Meeting
April 23, 2024: The Indiana offense got back in gear as the Pacers rolled to a 125-108 win over the Bucks in Game 2 at Fiserv Forum.
The Blue and Gold won all four quarters and led for the entire second half. They were in front 92-88 with 11 minutes remaining, but outscored Milwaukee 23-4 over the next five minutes to put the game away.
Pascal Siakam led the way with 37 points on 16-of-23 shooting, 11 rebounds, and six assists. Myles Turner added 22 points, seven boards, six assists, and three blocks, Andrew Nembhard tallied 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, and Tyrese Haliburton recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 assists.
Damian Lillard led the Bucks with 34 points, going 10-for-21 from the field, 6-for-13 from 3-point range, and 8-for-9 from the free throw line. Brook Lopez added 22 points while going 6-for-7 from beyond the arc, Khris Middleton tallied 15 points and six assists, and Bobby Portis contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Last Meeting
- The Pacers’ last playoff game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse was a 110-106 loss to the Celtics in Game 4 of their first round series on April 21, 2019. Indiana’s last home playoff victory was a 121-87 Game 6 rout of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 27, 2018.
- The Pacers went 2-0 against the Bucks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the regular season, winning 126-124 on Nov. 9 and 142-130 on Jan. 3.
- There will be a Pregame Party on Bicentennial Unity Plaza on Friday from 2:00 – 5:00 PM. Activations will include a DJ, face painting, caricature and balloon artists, basketball, and concessions. Fans must have ticket to Game 3 for entry to the Pregame Party.
- Friday’s game will be a “Gold Out,” with all fans in attendance receiving a gold t-shirt.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings)
TV: ESPN – Mark Jones (play-by-play), Hubie Brown (analyst), Monica McNutt (sideline reporter)
Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Tickets
The Pacers will host the Bucks in Game 3 on Friday, April 26 at 5:30 PM ET, the first playoff game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse since 2019.
Originally posted on pacers.com