Pacers and Bucks: A Rivalry Heating Up in the Playoffs
INDIANAPOLIS — The tension between the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers is palpable, and if you’ve been following their recent matchups, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The first two games of their Eastern Conference first-round series have been nothing short of fiery, with verbal altercations and double technical fouls setting the tone. Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton made it clear after the Pacers secured a 2-0 lead with a 123-115 victory over the Bucks on Tuesday.
“We don’t have to sit here and act like it’s any secret,” Haliburton said. “We don’t like them, they don’t like us and that’s just what it is. And I think they live for this, we live for this, so I could [not] care less. I’m out here just trying to help my team win a game.”
The animosity between these two teams is not new, and it’s only getting more intense. The Bucks, now heading back home, are desperate for a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Game 1 saw an altercation involving Haliburton and Bucks star Damian Lillard, who was on the bench for that game but made his return to action on Tuesday after a month-long absence. Game 2 didn’t disappoint in terms of drama, with another run-in between the All-Stars and a tense moment involving Milwaukee’s Gary Trent Jr. and Indiana’s Pascal Siakam wrestling over a loose ball, resulting in Siakam hitting the floor hard.
Haliburton, reflecting on his encounters with Lillard, said, “Just competitors. He wants to win, I want to win. It’s the highest level. We’re in the highest level in the most contentious moment here in the playoffs.”
It’s no surprise that things are heated between these teams. They’ve faced each other 18 times since the start of the 2023-24 season, including regular-season games, last season’s NBA Cup semifinals, and a six-game playoff series a year ago. One memorable encounter was a regular-season matchup in December 2023, which ended with a tense postgame confrontation over Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s attempt to recover a game ball to commemorate his 64-point performance that night.
Antetokounmpo acknowledged the strife but emphasized that his team has bigger issues to address, given their 2-0 series deficit and the fact that Milwaukee has led for a combined three minutes in two games. “I feel like there’s a lot of animosity, a lot of back and forth,” he said. “But I try to stay away from it. I try to stay away from it as much as I can and just focus on what I’ve got to do to help the team win. But, s—, if you poke me, I’m right there. I’m not backing down.
“I think a lot of people know that about me, but I really don’t care about what people think or what [the Pacers] think or what we think. I really don’t care. My mindset right now is Game 3. We know the f—ing deal man. I just know the deal. I know what I’ve got to do.”
The Pacers seemed poised for a blowout at times on Tuesday, leading by as many as 16 points after dominating Game 1 by as many as 28 points. However, Milwaukee showed resilience in the final minutes, going on a 13-0 run to turn a 15-point Indiana lead with 5:43 remaining into a two-point game by the 2:33 mark. Lillard, who returned after being sidelined by a blood clot since March 18, hit a 3-pointer to make it a 115-113 game.
But the Pacers, who have shown grit in close games this season, responded with a pair of 3s and ultimately closed it out. Lillard surprisingly played 37 minutes despite his layoff, finishing with 14 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Antetokounmpo was dominant again, scoring 34 after his 36-point effort in Game 1. Bobby Portis added 28 for Milwaukee.
The Pacers produced a balanced scoring effort, with six players in double figures, led by Siakam with 24 points. Haliburton contributed 21 points and 12 assists.
Looking ahead to Game 3 and beyond, Haliburton said to expect more of the same intensity from both teams. “I’m sure you’re going to continue to see that through the course of the series,” he said. “Everybody says the league rivalries aren’t here anymore. Well, it’s right here. So, this is an interesting series. We’ve played each other, it feels like, a million times over the last two years. I’ve seen every different coverage that they could throw at us. And I feel like those guys probably feel the same way about us. But there’s still a lot of series, you’ve got a lot of games to play. So, I’m sure there’ll be more heated moments, more competitive moments.”
- Expect more heated moments in Game 3.
- Pacers lead the series 2-0.
- Antetokounmpo and Lillard are key players to watch.
Originally Written by: Stephen Holder
