2024 Playoffs Eastern Conference First Round: (3) Milwaukee Bucks vs (6) Indiana Pacers

[InstaFace]

NBA series preview: https://www.nba.com/news/2024-nba-playoffs-series-preview-bucks-pacers

Series schedule:

Game 1: Pacers vs. Bucks; Sunday, April 21 (7 ET, TNT)
Game 2: Pacers vs. Bucks; Tuesday, April 23 (8:30 ET, NBA TV)
Game 3: Bucks vs. Pacers; Friday, April 26 (5:30 ET, ESPN)
Game 4: Bucks vs. Pacers; Sunday, April 28 (7 ET, TNT)
Game 5: Pacers vs. Bucks; Tuesday, April 30 (TBD, TBD)*
Game 6: Bucks vs. Pacers; Thursday, May 2 (TBD, TBD)*
Game 7: Pacers vs. Bucks; Saturday, May 4 (TBD, TNT)*

Series betting odds, Winner: Milwaukee -110, Pacers +100, basically a coin flip

Indiana fan preview:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3I2nkZ92QU

 

[Senator Donut]

Game 3: Bucks vs. Pacers; Friday, April 26 (5:30 ET, ESPN)

I love the happy hour Friday game. You never see weekday triple-header broadcasts.

 

[Eric Fernsten's Disco Mustache]

I've been hoping for this matchup since sometime in December or January. It's such a stark contrast in playing styles, and what each team wants to do, that it can't help but be interesting.

Other than Celtics, the Pacers might be the team in the East best poised to knock off Milwaukee. During the regular season all those old legs on the Bucks just couldn't keep up

This is one of those series where you can come up with 3-4 strong arguments why the Bucks should win, and 3-4 strong arguments why the Pacers should win. And all of them would be right. So which arguments carry more water? We'll see..,

 

[lars10]

Anyone watching this game?

 

[PC Drunken Friar]

The Google phone commercial that we are going to see every break is enough to make me not watch some of these games.

 

[mauf]

We were just discussing whether Lillard gets called for a travel on that buzzer beater three or four decades ago.

I think that’s let go even back in the day, but it’s hard to say because players seldom used the extra step that way back then.

 

[Euclis20]

Indy looking pretty lost in the moment right now. Siakam and Haliburton are 7-10, the rest of the team is 4-22 (and can't hit a 3 to save their life).

 

[JCizzle]

I feel dumb for putting real life money on the pacers to take this series

 

[lovegtm]

I feel dumb for putting real life money on the pacers to take this series

NBA series are long. Especially for the road team, it's all about stealing one game, and getting the series started for real.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

I feel dumb for putting real life money on the pacers to take this series

Pacers are 0-12 from 3P. MIL has outscored them by 18 from 3P - that's really the game as of right now. That will change at some point.

 

[Euclis20]

There's been some discussion about how Haliburton felt forced to play in order to hit the 65 game threshold (and get his super max extension), and about how he's clearly not 100%. Has anyone mentioned that maybe if he'd sat for another few weeks earlier in the year, he might actually be effective now? He's corny and a good interview and seems like a really fun/nice guy, but his refusal to allow time to heal (in order to get more money) looks pretty dumb right now. He's been invisible so far (just 3 shots 20 minutes into the game with his team getting hammered), other than occasionally getting beat defensively.

 

[HowBoutDemSox]

Dame is lighting it up, and Indy doesn’t look ready for prime time.

 

[tims4wins]

There's been some discussion about how Haliburton felt forced to play in order to hit the 65 game threshold (and get his super max extension), and about how he's clearly not 100%. Has anyone mentioned that maybe if he'd sat for another few weeks earlier in the year, he might actually be effective now? He's corny and a good interview and seems like a really fun/nice guy, but his refusal to allow time to heal (in order to get more money) looks pretty dumb right now. He's been invisible so far (just 3 shots 20 minutes into the game with his team getting hammered), other than occasionally getting beat defensively.

Completely different player than first half when he was dropping 20 and 15 on a nightly basis

 

[DeadlySplitter]

Is every home team going to win game 1 in mostly undramatic fashion? Yawn.

 

[Imbricus]

Lillard single-handedly destroying the Pacers.

 

[Ed Hillel]

Boy is that Siakam trade looking terrible, especially if he leaves.

 

[Light-Tower-Power]

I was not expecting a blowout. This weekend stunk.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

IND put Nesmith on Dame. He forced a couple of misses, which is better than Nembhard was doing.

 

[Light-Tower-Power]

Halliburton really fell off a cliff after he got hurt against the C’s huh. More or less no showed that half.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

IND trying to make a game of it.

 

[Euclis20]

Every game today has followed the same format - home team jumps out to a huge (30ish) point lead, and the road team cuts it to the mid teens in the 4th quarter. We'll see if Indy can actually show up, it wasn't that they caught fire so much as Milwaukee stopped scoring (no points in the final 4 minutes of the 3rd).

 

[Mystic Merlin]

Obi Toppin, forgot all about him.

 

[Light-Tower-Power]

Indiana 6-31 from deep is the game. Still think this has the potential to be a good series but Halliburton has to get going.

 

[teddywingman]

Siakam looks like garbage.

*I don't know shit* But I placed $1 on a Pacers comeback win, and Siakam is making sure that won't happen.

 

[osori]

Haliburton has turned from MVP-candidate into a potato.

 

[Euclis20]

Haliburton has turned from MVP-candidate to a potato.

At the point now where it's mildly insulting if he ends up getting all-NBA. Just 5 shots (and no FTs) late in the 4th quarter when your team is having a ton of trouble scoring is just awful.

I haven't been overly impressed with the Bucks defense, although that's probably to be expected with no Giannis. It feels like the Pacers are just missing a million wide open 3's.

 

[DavidTai]

I sorta expect the Bucks to get a 3-1 series lead, then Doc to blow the lead so the Pacers win the series 4-3.

 

[Mystic Merlin]

I would’ve guessed Beverley would be out of the league by now but here he is.

 

[Euclis20]

I would’ve guessed Beverley would be out of the league by now but here he is.

Being guarded by Tyrese Haliburton does wonders for one's offensive game.

 

[osori]

Our good friend Nesmith has made the highlight reel!

View: https://streamable.com/a2r2qs

 

[Euclis20]

He should work with a hypnotist to fool him into thinking that everyone team he plays is the Celtics. Hardly the only offender, but he was godawful in his first playoff minutes with expectations.

 

[astrozombie]

I sorta expect the Bucks to get a 3-1 series lead, then Doc to blow the lead so the Pacers win the series 4-3.

If this scenario happened, I would absolutely watch the season-ending press conference just to see who Doc would blame for the loss.

 

[InstaFace]

Is every home team going to win game 1 in mostly undramatic fashion? Yawn.

"glad you asked"

- OKC

 

[Just a bit outside]

Pacers/Bucks getting chippy.

 

[mostman]

The multi view thing on YT TV is awesome. 4 games going at once. Now if they could figure out a way for me to still have the live stats on screen in multi view…

 

[benhogan]

Danny sold high on Crowder

 

[Eric Fernsten's Disco Mustache]

It makes me strangely happy to see TJ McConnell doing positive things in meaningful playoff minutes all these years later

Pascal Siakam has got all kinds of things to say to the haters

 

[Light-Tower-Power]

Finally one of these turned into a series.

 

[Eric Fernsten's Disco Mustache]

Milwaukee might not get to three wins before they cough up the series and keep Doc's streak going

Myles Turner says Pascal hold my beer, I got some things to say to the hater next...

 

[radsoxfan]

Doc has this new strange response when things go badly for his team.

He claps louder and acts more positive, as if something good just happened.

5 second call on Middleton? Lots of clapping. Lillard gets blocked? Lots of clapping. Turner hits a 3? Lots of clapping.

I'm not sure I understand the discordant positivity.

 

[Eric Fernsten's Disco Mustache]

This feels like a safe prediction: we're going to be playing the Knicks in the ECF

And it's going to be awesome

 

[Buster Olney the Lonely]

Gallinari with the mohawk resembles Travis Bickle.

 

[Red Averages]

Dame is just absolute murder on their half court defense and the Pacers finally started taking advantage of it. So many open 3s, or Siakam easy drives because of it. The Bucks actually made a run when he was out at the end of the 3rd and start of the 4th making it a 4 point game before the Pacers scored about 10 straight when he returned within 2 min.

 

[jmcc5400]

My favorite moment was when the Bucks had to waste a timeout because Portis was trapped in the backcourt and then gacked up a 5 second call on the ensuing inbounds.

Also, kind of an odd joy to see Nesmith hounding Middleton. I'm happy he's blossomed, he always seemed like a good kid.

 

[Buster Olney the Lonely]

Nesmith and Middleton went to the same high school, Porter Gaud in Charleston, SC.

 

[PedroKsBambino]

Giannis was 'doubtful' rather than 'out' last night on the early injury listing---so have to think he is at least a discussion for game 3. Might be gamesmanship, might be real. What he's got, and if he can play...just no way to know.

I do think so long as they were winning they'd keep resting him as from all descriptions it's an injury where more time is better. But you don't want to go down 2-1 with game 4 in their place if you can avoid it.

This one felt like it had sneaky upset potential and still does. Sorry, Doc

 

[benhogan]

Nesmith and Middleton went to the same high school, Porter Gaud in Charleston, SC.

I think it's a Big bro/little bro type relationship (similar to Beal/JT), believe they work out together in the off-season?
Nesmith is a physical beast, plays hard & can shoot. Nice piece to have around Hali. Zero regrets about the Brogdon trade. I'd call it a win-win, which is a great outcome AFAIC.

"Brogdon Trade" is a perfect example of how a re-builder (Indiana) should operate.

A bunch of good moves over the last few seasons:
-Sabonis/Hali, another win-win trade.
-Signing Bruce Brown to a short deal, then going ALL-IN by using his salary (along with late Firsts) for Siakam
-Punting Hield.
-Hire veteran HC in Carlisle
-Signing a bench vet like TJ McConnell
-Nice draft picks (Mathurin, Nembhard)
-adding Toppin for (2 Seconds)

Pritchard has done an exceptional job. Indiana is young and will be competitive for the next few seasons.

 

[Euclis20]

Siakam was a monster last night - 37 points on .761 TS, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 0 turnovers. I don't think Indy can win this series without the all-star version of Haliburton showing up at least a couple of times, but I suppose all things are possible when Doc is the opposing coach.

 

[Auger34]

I think it's a Big bro/little bro type relationship (similar to Beal/JT), believe they work out together in the off-season?

100%. Middleton is a mentor to Nesmith. There were a few articles written about this when Nesmith was on the C's.

As one of the only people who kept property on Nesmtih Island, I am really happy to see him succeed on the Pacers.

 

[DannyDarwinism]

Dame is just absolute murder on their half court defense and the Pacers finally started taking advantage of it. So many open 3s, or Siakam easy drives because of it. The Bucks actually made a run when he was out at the end of the 3rd and start of the 4th making it a 4 point game before the Pacers scored about 10 straight when he returned within 2 min.

He was truly awful last night. His point of attack deficiencies are evident in the way they tax the rest of the defense in the half court, but he was also terrible in transition- bad decisions, bad effort, poor positioning and angles. He makes it really hard for his teammates to compensate