Pacers Huge Second Half Ties Series Up at One Game Apiece

During Game One of this series, the sixth-seeded Indiana Pacers took a rough 109-94 blowout loss to the third-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. Milwaukee was still without Giannis Antetokounmpo during Game Two, in which the Bucks could have certainly needed the great play of the former MVP as Milwaukee took a tough 125-108 loss. Indiana played phenomenally in the second half shooting a near 61 percent from the floor, and 40 percent from beyond the arc. With Game Three and Four back in Pacers territory, the Bucks must figure it out before the Pacers take advantage of their hometown fans. If the Pacers go up 3-1 in this series, the inevitable may happen to the Bucks who thought they had a legit chance of making it out of the Eastern Conference this playoffs. 

Indiana outscored Milwaukee in all four quarters of this Game Two matchup. They held a four-point lead after one-quarter of play and then had a five-point lead heading into the locker room. The Bucks were still very much in this game, they just needed to have a big second half to put them over the top. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The Pacers outscored the Bucks 29-14 Indiana shot a near 52 percent from the floor compared to Milwaukee’s 42 percent. The great shooting from the Pacers didn’t stop in the third quarter, as in the fourth Indiana shot 70 percent from the field. Even though the Bucks shot 48 percent from the floor, they were no match for the Pacers hot hand. The Pacers had full control in the final 12 minutes of this game, taking a 125-108 win to tie this first-round series up at one game apiece. 

Indiana shot 45 percent from the floor, and 40 percent from three-point range. They also outrebounded the Bucks by five and committed two less turnovers. Pascal Siakam led all scorers with 37 points. He even had a double-double with his 37 points and 11 rebounds as well as dishing out six assists. Myles Turner dropped 22, and Andrew Nembhard had 20 in the Pacers Game Two victory. Damian Lillard continued his great shooting, especially in the first half, finishing with 34 points along with four rebounds, five assists, and a steal. Bucks center Brook Lopez scored 22 points but grabbed just one rebound in his team’s loss.