The Indiana Pacers’ 2024 playoffs campaign is not off to a good start after they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 109-94 on Sunday night, especially after a putrid first-half showing.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined due to injury, Damian Lillard lit up the Indiana Pacers by scoring 35 points in the first half, and the former Portland Trail Blazers star didn’t even score in the second half en route to the win.
“The first half was embarrassing. No excuses. We’ve simply got to come out better. It was ugly, and we all own it,” Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game via the Associated Press.
“We didn’t have the intensity we were supposed to have, but they made tough shots. We weren’t us, we didn’t stay composed,” Pascal Siakam added.
Before Game 1, the Indiana Pacers won four of five regular-season meetings with the Milwaukee Bucks, and they hadn’t scored fewer than 99 points while averaging a league-high 123.3 points per game.
Pascal Siakam was the bright spot for the Indiana Pacers, while Tyrese Haliburton was not
Pascal Siakam was the best player for the Indiana Pacers in Game 1, as he had a game-high 36 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks while shooting 15-of-25 from the field in 40 minutes of action.
Myles Turner and TJ McConnell were the other two double-digit scorers in the blowout loss, with 17 and 10 points, respectively, although both combined to shoot 10-of-30 from the field.
Meanwhile, Tyrese Haliburton struggled to make a meaningful impact in this game, and he ended up having nine points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and three turnovers in 38 minutes. Some fans claimed that he was too passive against the Milwaukee Bucks.
“It’s easy to just say we missed shots and how we’re nervous or whatever,” Tyrese Haliburton said. “Whatever you all are going to run with, it doesn’t matter. I just feel like we missed shots, at the end of the day. The ball wasn’t hopping. And they made shots in the first half, and that kind of dug us a hole.”
The Indiana Pacers will look to bounce back in Game 2 on Wednesday where they still have an opportunity to steal homecourt advantage against the Milwaukee Bucks.
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