The sea of gold at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis was blinding as most of the 17,274 fans decked out in shimmery Pacers’ apparel made themselves known.
The Indiana Pacers overpowered the Milwaukee Bucks 117-98 in Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoffs series on April 19.
Leveraging a 28-point lead and stifling defense, they secured a commanding series opener.
The Pacers, fueled by Pascal Siakam’s team-high 25 points and Myles Turner’s 19 points and four blocks, shot 51.9% from the field and dominated the fast-break (22-5).
Tyrese Haliburton orchestrated the offense with 12 assists and 10 points, while Andrew Nembhard added 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
Indiana’s bench contributed 39 points, including 13 from Bennedict Mathurin in NBA postseason debut.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle commended his players in their first-ever playoff game.
“Mathurin’s offense in the first half was a big factor,” Carlisle said. “He had drives, he was active around the basket, Jerace (Walker) hit big shots … it is great for those guys to jump right into the deep end a seasoned, veteran team in Milwaukee.”
Milwaukee, playing without Damian Lillard (reconditioning), leaned heavily on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 36 points and 12 rebounds. Despite this, the two-time MVP struggled from the free-throw line (8-of-15) and committed five turnovers as the Bucks shot 24.3% from three-point range.
The fans at the fieldhouse played a considerable role in Antetokounmpo’s struggles from the line. They tenaciously counted to ten each time he attempted a shot, hoping to force a free throw violation.
Following the win, Turner spoke about the importance of getting the crowd involved.
“You have to keep the crowd in the game,” Turner said. “Momentum plays a huge part (and) in our style of play.”
Brook Lopez added nine points, while reserves AJ Green (15) and Gary Trent Jr. (14) provided timely sparks.
Indiana seized control early with a 33-25 first quarter, highlighted by a 12-0 run and extended its lead to 67-43 by halftime.
The Bucks trimmed the deficit to 93-76 in the third behind Antetokounmpo’s 12-point quarter, but the Pacers’ 24-point fourth-quarter cushion proved unconquerable.
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers did not like what he saw
“I thought our offense was awful,” Rivers said. “We didn’t play the way we have played during this stretch offensively. I thought we had a lot of missed shots which allowed them to have a lot of break outs.”
Antetokounmpo echoed Rivers’ sentiments.
“We have to be better,” Antetokounmpo said. “We have to have patience; we have to trust one another and trust we are going to make plays. Hopefully the games will be better.”
In the fourth quarter, Siakam and Lillard (on Milwaukee’s bench) were assessed technical fouls, while Pat Connaughton received a flagrant foul.
Game 2 happens on April 22 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Carlisle said this game will be “monumentally more difficult” than Game 1.
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846 or via email at noralp@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more NBA Playoffs coverage, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
