AFTER SHOCKING the NBA world last season by advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Indiana Pacers (50-32) are primed to prove that last year was no fluke.
To do so, they’ll begin their playoff push on Saturday the same way they began in 2024.
With a first-round matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks (48-34), the Pacers will see a foe that took them three games to one in their regular season series this year. The Bucks are led by the league’s second-leading scorer in Giannis Antetokounmpo, who averages 30.4 points per game and 11.9 rebounds per game.
While the defensive assignment of slowing down the two-time NBA MVP will be a daunting one, the Pacers have a home-court advantage after clinching the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference last Thursday with a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“It’s a significant accomplishment, so congratulations to the guys and our fans because they had a huge part in it,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle says. “But it’s not a destination, it’s a tool. … You’ve got to take a different mindset into the playoffs when you’re the home team, but that’s a challenge we’re looking forward to.”
Starting the season with a record of 16-18, they were tenth in offense and twenty third in defense, but since the start of the calendar year have gone 34-14, with the fourth best record in the league, and have compiled top 10 offenses and defensive ratings.
Pacers: By the Numbers
Statistically speaking, the Indiana Pacers have been one of the hottest offensive teams in the league for the last two years. While they’ve taken a step in the right direction defensively this season, the ability to put the ball in the basket remains their bread and butter.
Averaging 115.4 PPG per 100 possessions on nearly 50 percent shooting from the field, the Pacers pose a problem for any team looking to slow them down on offense.
Whether it’s in the full court, their 17.5 fast break PPG, or their 18.3 PPG converted on opponents’ turnovers, when the ball is in the hands of All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, good things tend to happen.
Haliburton, who averages 18.6 PPG and 9.2 assists per game, is one of seven players on Indiana’s team who averages double figures in scoring this season, following Pascal Siakam’s 20.2 PPG average.
The Pacers’ offensive repertoire goes deep with Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner proving they can pose a threat to any opposing defense, while Andrew Nembhard has been crowned as one of the league’s toughest defenders all season.
According to Haliburton, the Pacers still have room to grow as they head into the playoffs.
“Starting and finishing quarters the right way. The most important thing in the playoffs that I learned last year is starting all four quarters off the right way and ending them the right way. … Controlling what we can. We can be a lot better in how we start and finish quarters,” Haliburton says.
Bucks: By the Numbers
For Milwaukee, everything begins and ends with Antetokounmpo and the myriad things he does well on both ends of the floor. While not known for his ability to stretch the floor with his 3-point range, the 6’11” power forward is nearly impossible to slow down in the open court, and he is a lethal weapon in the post. Furthermore, his ability to draw defenders his way has allowed him to find open teammates all season long when averaging 6.5 APG.
Posting 11 triple-doubles in the season, four of which have come in the last five games, Antetokounmpo averages 11.9 RPG but will be without his main running mate Damian Lillard for at least the start of the series, if not longer.
Lillard, who is second on the team in scoring with 24.9 PPG, has been sidelined for over a month due to a deep vein thrombosis in his right calf.
Novice Lillard’s ability to score outside of the 3-point line in the NBA is akin to Caitlin Clark’s shot-making abilities in the W, and his absence will only further complicate Antetokounmpo’s ability to get open looks without his primary shot-maker on the floor.
The Bucks, winners of their last eight straight games, have plenty of other offensive weapons to rely on, however, with eight players total averaging in double figures.
After practice on Tuesday, Siakam told Pacers Sports & Entertainment that a Milwaukee team without its star point guard doesn’t make it any less of an opponent.
“I think at the end of the day, they’ve got a tough team and they’ve been playing so well without [Lillard]. Obviously, he’s an amazing player, but just the way they’ve been playing, it’s still going to be tough,” Siakam says, adding that a Lillard-less team led by Antetokounmpo is still no easy task.
“[Antetokounmpo] can do everything. He’s attacking with force, and being able to make that mid-range makes him more dangerous. He’s the head of the snake, but I think the whole team is playing unbelievable basketball,” Siakam says.
