The Milwaukee Bucks won Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers despite being without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
While there was a final margin; only With 15 points, the game was basically out of reach at the end of the first quarter.
Damian Lillard put together a great offense in the first half, scoring all 35 of his points through the first two quarters.
Khris Middleton resembles the former “K-Mid,” and he showed off difficult shot-making skills and scored 23 points.
One concern for the Pacers is the poor play of All-Star Tyrese Haliburton. He has been struggling since suffering a Grade 1 strain in his left hamstring in January.
Was Game 1 an indication of what to expect from both teams in this series, or was it an outlier? We’ll find out Tuesday night.
Bucks vs Pacers odds
| team | spread | money line | total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacers | +1.5 (-112) | +100 | o222 (-110) |
| bucks | -1.5 (-108) | -120 | u222 (-110) |
Pacers vs. Bucks predictions
(8:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV)
Game 1 ended in a beatdown with Milwaukee leading by 29 points at one point. While almost everything went right for the Bucks, the Pacers couldn’t have played worse.
Lillard scored 35 points on 9-of-14 shooting, Middleton scored 23 points, and Bobby Portis also had a double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds).
The Bucks also made 14 3-pointers and committed just 10 turnovers.
Conversely, the Pacers got the worst existing versions of Myles Turner and Haliburton. Turner shot 29.4 percent from the field on 17 shots, but Haliburton didn’t reach double-digit points or assists.
Indiana University also had a shooting success rate of 20.5% from 3-point land, which was significantly worse than the season average of 37%.
The Pacers looked like a deer in the headlights in Game 1, but that initial shock is now gone and they should look more like the team that dominated Milwaukee throughout the regular season.
Manager Rick Carlisle is expected to strengthen the rotation after some players on the bench struggled to get valuable playing time.
Additionally, the Pacers should see some positive regression in their shooting in Game 2.
It would be shocking to see Haliburton put in another putrid performance, especially against the Bucs’ poor backcourt defense, which he has excelled at this season.
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According to Fantasy Pros, Milwaukee has given up the second-most points to opposing point guards this season.
Despite struggling in Game 1, Indiana had some positives, including Pascal Siakam’s overall play. Siakam had an efficient 36 points and 13 rebounds.
The Pacers held Milwaukee to a 40-point lead in the second half, proving they can go even further in the second half.
They averaged just under 123 points per game this season, and if they make the necessary adjustments offensively, they should be in great shape heading into Game 2.
