In Game 1 of their matchup on Sunday, Damian Lillard scored 35 points – all in the first half – against the Indiana Pacers as the Milwaukee Bucks cruised to a 15-point victory in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
During Game 2 on Tuesday night, Lillard scored 34 points – 26 in the first half – but this time the Bucks fell 125-108 to Indiana.
What is causing Lillard to taper off after his first half outbursts for the Bucks? Lillard explained why, per Gabe Stoltz of Brewhoop:
“I think they just picked up the pressure. They started to face guard and deny a little bit harder. And I just think we weren’t as organized as we needed to be when they defended that way. And our offense is struggling with our spacing…our pace sometimes…you gotta be focused. You gotta be able to execute through that, even when you’re tired.”
The Bucks star elaborated on what the Pacers did to affect their shot quality.
“Even when a team is turning up the pressure, the physicality…and we struggled a little bit with that tonight. I think because of it our shot quality was low and against a team like this, you know they want to get the ball out and run, get up and get quick shots up. They play at an extremely high pace and I thought the areas that we struggled in offensively really hurt our defense out there tonight. Just get out and play the way they’re comfortable and the way they wanna play and I think it showed when they kind of just jumped out and took that lead.”
Will the Bucks have Giannis in Game 3?
The Bucks are tied 1-1 in their first-round matchup with the Pacers despite not yet having the services of two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks have been playing without Antetokounmpo since he suffered a left soleus strain injury during a late-season matchup against the Boston Celtics at home on Apr. 9. Since then, the Bucks have played five games, counting the postseason.
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers also said that Monday was a “maintenance day” for Giannis.
“Honestly, I don’t even go in there (the training room). I could literally not tell you one thing what any of those guys do. I’ve learned, I just stay out the training room. I don’t want to be in there because they may make me get on the table. You’ve seen me walk, right? I don’t know,” Rivers said when asked to elaborate further.
“But I know even that is active stuff. I will say that. I know he’s doing physical lifting and moving. But today – I think he’s been on the court four days in a row – I think today is the non-court day, is maybe a better way of saying that” Rivers added.
While the Bucks want to make sure not to rush Giannis back into action, they may be feeling a bit more urgency after the Pacers stole Game 2 on Milwaukee’s home court.
Game 3 between Bucks and Pacers is on Friday from Indiana.
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