The Milwaukee Bucks are fighting for their playoff lives as they host the Indiana Pacers Friday night, trailing 0-2 in their first-round series. The Bucks enter as 5.5-point favorites at home despite their backs being against the wall.
Want to catch all the action? The game tips off at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPNU and NBA TV. You can also stream it free through Jazz Sports.
The Pacers have suddenly taken control of this matchup after Milwaukee dominated them during the regular season. It’s been a dramatic turnaround – Indiana has now won six of their last eight playoff games against the Bucks, including three straight.
Game 2 was a thriller.
The Pacers built a 16-point lead before Milwaukee stormed back, cutting the deficit to just two points with under three minutes remaining. But Indiana held firm for a 123-115 win.
“I credit our guys a lot. [The Bucks] threw a hellacious punch,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said after the game. “Pascal hit as big of a shot as you’re gonna see in the playoffs on the right wing.”
Pascal Siakam was brilliant with 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points and 12 assists to lead Indiana’s balanced attack.
For Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo put up monster numbers – 34 points, 18 rebounds, and 7 assists – but it wasn’t enough.
Bobby Portis provided a huge spark off the bench with 28 points and 12 boards.
The biggest boost for the Bucks was the return of Damian Lillard, who played for the first time in 15 games after dealing with a blood clot in his right calf. He contributed 14 points and 7 assists in 37 minutes.
Doc Rivers didn’t mince words about his team’s defensive struggles.
“When we got to get a stop, we did not get a stop. Those are the plays to me that are really breaking us,” the Bucks coach said. “It was our inability to contain the ball off the dribble.”
Milwaukee hopes home court advantage will help turn things around. They’ll host Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday night.
The injury report remains relatively clean for both teams. Indiana is missing forward Isaiah Jackson (out for the season with an Achilles injury), while Milwaukee lists Tyler Smith as questionable with an ankle issue.
Despite their recent struggles, ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives the Bucks a 55.3% chance of winning Game 3. The Pacers are red-hot, going 9-1 in their last 10 games, while Milwaukee has struggled on Fridays, posting a 5-11 record in their last 16 Friday contests.
Can the Bucks defend home court and get back in this series? Or will Indiana take a commanding 3-0 lead?
