MILWAUKEE @ INDIANA (IND -6, 222)
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BUCKS VS. PACERS 4/26/24
Thanks to Pascal Siakam's incredible postseason debut, the Indiana Pacers have managed to steal home-court advantage from the Milwaukee Bucks. When the sixth-seeded Pacers and the third-seeded Bucks play in Indianapolis tonight for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series, Siakam will be looking to stay hot.
Siakam recorded 37 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists in Indiana's 125-108 victory on Tuesday, after a 36-point and 13-rebound performance in the Pacers' 109-94 loss in the series' opening game on Sunday. Since Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain did so in 1967, he is the first NBA player to begin the playoffs with two straight games of at least 35 points and 10 rebounds.
Siakam was a part of the Toronto Raptors' championship-winning squad in 2019. That experience is valuable. It can come in handy as the Pacers try to take the series lead. Siakam can’t do it himself. He’ll get some help from guys like Myles Turner who finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and three blocks in Game 2.
Damian Lillard of Milwaukee will try to build on his recent success with strong starts. Before scoring 26 of his 34 points over the first two quarters of Tuesday's game, he scored all 35 of his points in the first half of the series opener. In Game 2, Bobby Portis scored 14 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
Due to a left calf injury, Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo has missed his team's last five games going back to the regular season. Even though Antetokounmpo was listed as doubtful by the team, Bucks coach Doc Rivers was upbeat about how he appeared during practice on Thursday. Antetokounmpo could be back soon, which would be a huge boost to the Bucks.
On Tuesday, Indiana took advantage of the interior while Antetokounmpo was relegated to a supporting role. The Pacers shot a strong 55.6 percent from the field and had a 52-36 advantage in points in the paint.
Additionally, Khris Middleton, a forward for Milwaukee, was listed as questionable after missing practice on Thursday due to an injury to his right ankle. In the first quarter of Game 2 on Tuesday, Middleton tweaked the ankel. In 36 minutes on Tuesday, he finished with 15 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds.
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FREE PICK: TYRESE HALIBURTON UNDER 17.5 POINTS
With Giannis out, the Bucks are having trouble slowing down Pascal Siakam. The Bucks are also not as strong in the paint. Myles Turner had 22 points in Game 2. That leaves Haliburton as more of a facilitator than a scorer. He played 37 minutes on Tuesday and scored just 12 points. In Game 1, he had 9. He hasn’t come close to this number in each of his last three games and he’s gone over this number just twice in his last five games. It’s actually a good thing, though, as Indiana shouldn’t need him to score tonight.
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