The temperature was rising and there is clearly no love lost between these two foes.
The dynamic duo of Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton both had fantastic games, posting double-doubles to help the Indiana Pacers hold on for a 123-115 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 of the first round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs Tuesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Siakam scored 24 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Haliburton had 21 points and 12 assists. Guard Andrew Nembhard had 17 points and six dimes. Center Myles Turner had 15 points, forward Aaron Nesmith had 16 points and guard Bennedict Mathurin had 14 off the bench. It was a total team effort.
“He’s been a steady presence for us all year, so glad that he’s on our team,” Haliburton said, referring to Siakam. “I think he could be the most underrated player in the NBA to be honest. I think what he does on a nightly basis is amazing. So consistent, so steady.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo was a man amongst boys again, leading the Bucks with 34 points, 18 rebounds and seven assists. Forward Bobby Portis had 28 points and 12 rebounds.
“It’s kind of hard to play from behind,” two-time league MVP Antetokounmpo said after the game. “We need to be more urgent. Both games, both halves they were really able to set the tone, get that feel. Need to play with more urgency at the start of the game, start of the half.”
The Pacers were in control for the lions’ share of the matchup and led by as many as 16 and never trailed, but the Bucks threatened to erase it all in the fourth quarter, charging back to get within two points, 115-113, on a Damian Lillard 3-pointer with 2:33 remaining and plenty of time to take over.
Embed from Getty ImagesHowever, the Pacers reestablished control over the next three possessions, getting a 3-pointer by Siakam, a crucial rebound on a missed Antetokounmpo layup by Turner and then a late-clock 3-pointer by Nembhard over the outstretched arms of Antetokounmpo to go back up eight points and managed to hold on to that margin the rest of the way.
As stated previously, Siakam gave the Pacers his usual sturdy effort with 24 points on 50% shooting, (8-of-16), to go with 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals. Nembhard had 17 points and six assists and provided lockdown defense on Lillard, who had only 13 points in 37 minutes of playing time.
Haliburton was aggressive and determined to get downhill to the basket, pushing the pace and finding shooters in Game 1 but did not have a whole lot of luck with his own offensive game. He was scoreless in Saturday’s first quarter and had just six points at halftime and finished with 10 on 3-of-13 shooting including 0-of-7 from beyond the arc. He also dished out 12 assists against one turnover and was +27 in his minutes so there was not much reason for concern, but the Pacers and Haliburton himself knew that they could not expect as big a win as they had Saturday if he did not hit shots.
So, on Tuesday, Haliburton was feeling it and had it going from all over the court. He got the Pacers started with two early assists on drives on which he got almost all the way to the rim but found open shooters in the corners for 3s. That seemed to freeze defenders and keep them from overcommitting when he got downhill later in the game, and he got clear lanes to the bucket on drives on several other occasions with five of his buckets coming in the paint. He also found his stroke from beyond the arc and finished 8-of-19 from the floor for 21 points and he again posted a double-double with 12 assists against three turnovers.
Nesmith gave the Pacers solid defensive performance and energy in Game 1 but not much in the way of buckets, scoring eight points. The Pacers need elite defense from him more than they need anything else, but he also happens to be their best floor-spacing wing this season, so it helps if he knocks down 3s.
On Tuesday, Nesmith continued to give the Pacers a strong defensive effort and got his jumper back. He buried both of his 3s in the first quarter and then picked up right where he left off, hitting his first of the second quarter and had nine points at the break. He finished with 16 on 5-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3.
The game had a little bit of everything.
There was a dust up in front of the Pacers bench that led to double technical fouls in the first half, words between multiple players in the final minutes that drew more technical fouls, players repeatedly hitting the floor, a steady stream of 10-second counts on Antetokounmpo’s free throws, a little zone defense, a smattering of full-court pressure and, of course, plenty of points.
And a crowd featuring WNBA star Caitlin Clark and her Indiana Fever teammates, Super Bowl champion Reggie Wayne, 2022 Indianapolis 500 champion Marcus Ericsson and former Pacers star Lance Stephenson all got a front-row seat to one of the most entertaining playoff games so far.
The Pacers take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series into Milwaukee. Game 3 will be at Fiserv Forum on Friday night at 8 p.m. ET.
