NBA Playoffs: Milwaukee Bucks vs Indiana Pacers series preview

The Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers were involved in a bizarre story involving a missing game ball earlier this season, which AP News took a closer look at. The two Central Division rivals will meet again in the NBA playoffs, where the stakes will be much higher, and a trip to the second round will be on the line.

To get ready for the 3-6 matchup in the East, we’ll take a look at the Bucks-Pacers series from several different angles. After that, we’ll take a stab at predicting which team will win the series, and in how many games. All statistics are sourced from Basketball Reference.

Of course, the biggest uncertainty heading into this series is the injury status of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who suffered a calf injury in early April. It’s going to be tough to speculate about whether he’ll suit up for the series, and how effective he might be. Needless to say, Khris Middleton will need to assume a larger role offensively during the postseason.

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Indiana’s frontcourt is anchored by Myles Turner, who is a multi-faceted weapon with his shotblocking ability and three point shooting touch. The Pacers also swung for the fences this season by trading for Pascal Siakam. He’s an impending free agent, so Siakam stands to make a lot of money this offseason if he can play big during the playoffs.

Given Antetokounmpo’s unwavering determination to be out on the floor with his teammates, we’ll predict that he will play in some capacity in this series. However, if he’s slowed down with the injury, his defensive impact and performance as a one-man fast break wrecking crew could be mitigated.

Milwaukee acquired Damian Lillard just before the 2023-2024 season for games like this. He still has the uncanny ability to get hot without warning, but NBA fans will be looking at his defensive performance closely this spring. Sporting News communicated in January that Milwaukee’s defensive struggles aren’t all Lillard’s fault, but he’ll need to be serviceable at minimum.

Lillard will have his hands full trying to slow Tyrese Haliburton down, who has taken a massive leap forward as an NBA star. While it’s hard to poke holes in Haliburton’s game, it should be pointed out that this is the first time the young guard has appeared in the postseason. Sports Illustrated noted that Haliburton closely watched last year’s postseason as a student of the game.

Even though Indiana comes into the NBA playoffs with limited postseason experience, Haliburton is the type of player who can leave his mark on the game without scoring. He can impact the game by setting the type of tempo Indiana prefers, and by getting his teammates open looks early and often.

The Ringer wrote about the complicated legacy of Rivers in January, and critics love to point out that the Bucks had a better winning percentage before he was hired in midseason. He has a lot riding on this postseason, as his previous teams with massive expectations have not reached the promised land.

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This will actually be the first time that Carlisle has coached in the NBA playoffs since the 2020-2021, which might surprise some fans. Like Rivers, Carlisle has one title as a coach on his resume, and will hope that he can impart some wisdom upon a young Pacers team looking to break through in the Eastern Conference.

Both coaches are amongst the most accomplished in recent NBA history, but the level of scrutiny Rivers will face might end up breaking the Bucks if they get off to a poor start in this series. Carlisle will have the freedom to coach much more liberally with a team that may be ahead of schedule in its development.

Milwaukee’s reserve situation directly depends on Antetokounmpo’s health, but the Bucks will feature a heavy dose of Bobby Portis in either scenario. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has covered Portis’ rise to fan-favorite status over the years. Milwaukee will also hope that Pat Connaughton can get hot from deep. Malik Beasley or Pat Beverley will come off the bench, depending on who starts.

“He’s a special player and a big part of what we do here,” Carlisle said about reserve guard T.J. McConnell. The reserve guard brings an enthusiasm and tenacity that helps lead Indiana’s second unit. The Pacers will also look for production from Obi Toppin and Doug McDermott, as Bennedict Mathurin has been ruled out for the season.

The two benches are vastly different from an experience perspective. Milwaukee has players who have been around the block several times in the postseason, while Indiana’s reserves are largely made up of young, unproven assets. It stands to reason that the Bucks’ know-how will shine through when the starters aren’t in the game.

It’s hard for Rivers or anyone else to guess what type of factor Beasley will be for Milwaukee night in and night out. With that said, he has the potential to get hot from downtown, which may be needed if the Bucks are going to get out of the first round with Antetokounmpo slowed down or out of the lineup.

This season has been a roller coaster ride for Milwaukee, as the target on their back has only grown with each passing game. The Bucks are going to need to come together to draw upon their wealth of experience to defeat an up-and-coming Indiana squad. This should end up being just enough to get them through to the second round, assuming Antetokounmpo is available.

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