The Indiana Pacers took command early and surged to a decisive 117-98 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday as the opening round of the NBA playoffs commenced.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 25 points as six players reached double figures, giving Indiana a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series in the Eastern Conference.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, topped all scorers with 36 points and secured 12 rebounds. However, the Greek superstar received very little assistance, with the other Bucks starters contributing only 14 points combined.
Myles Turner contributed 19 points, Andrew Nembhard added 17, and Tyrese Haliburton put up 10 points while dishing out 12 assists for the Pacers, who energized a crowd of 17,000 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and capitalized on the absence of Damian Lillard—who has been out since being diagnosed with a blood clot in his right calf in March.
In the meantime, the Bucks struggled offensively. Antetokounmpo tallied only one assist as his teammates failed to score effectively. Kyle Kuzma ended up with no points, no rebounds, and no assists in nearly 22 minutes of play. Taurean Prince also did not score.
Having previously defeated the Bucks in last year’s first round, the Pacers built a lead of as much as 28 points. The Bucks managed to close the gap to 12 points after a 9-0 surge midway through the fourth quarter. However, they could not shrink the deficit to single digits, and a three-pointer from Turner ignited a sequence that allowed the Pacers to pull away once more.
This match was the first of four contests on the inaugural day of the first-round playoffs.
LeBron James, aiming for a fifth championship in his 22nd season in the NBA, will conclude the day’s games as his Los Angeles Lakers face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
