Andrew Nembhard and Pascal Siakam combined for 27 first-half points as the Indiana Pacers dominated the Milwaukee Bucks 117-98 to kick off their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series on Saturday.
Siakam ended the game with 25 points, Myles Turner added 19, and Nembhard contributed 17, helping the fourth-seeded Pacers take an early lead in the best-of-seven series. This win came against a Bucks team that had beaten Indiana three out of four times in the regular season.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle cautioned that the series is far from over, saying, “The series is one-seventh done. Game 2 will be significantly tougher.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 36 points and 12 rebounds in the absence of Damian Lillard, who missed the game due to deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. Lillard could return for either Game 2 on Tuesday or Game 3 in Milwaukee on Friday.
Carlisle acknowledged that Antetokounmpo was difficult to contain, saying the Pacers tried to build defensive “walls” but he still got to the basket frequently.
Indiana jumped out early with a 12-2 run to take a 15-8 lead, with key contributions from Nembhard and Siakam. The Bucks briefly narrowed the gap to 53-41 late in the second quarter, but a 14-2 run capped by a Bennedict Mathurin three-pointer gave the Pacers a commanding 67-43 halftime lead.
Siakam and Nembhard shot efficiently, going 10-for-15 and 8-for-13 from the field, respectively. Tyrese Haliburton directed Indiana’s offense with 12 assists, also adding 10 points and seven rebounds. Mathurin scored 13 off the bench, and T.J. McConnell added 11.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers praised Haliburton’s playmaking, saying he did a great job involving his teammates even without scoring heavily.
The Pacers shot 51.9% from the field, outpacing the Bucks’ 41.7%. While Antetokounmpo notched his 53rd playoff double-double, no other Milwaukee starter reached double-digit scoring. Bench players AJ Green, Gary Trent Jr., and Kevin Porter Jr. added 15, 14, and 12 points, respectively.
“There were positives, but also areas we need to adjust,” Rivers said. “Some things we just can’t let happen again.”
