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The NBA Playoffs have officially tipped off with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers doing battle in Indianapolis, Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Pacers and Bucks are Central Division foes with a history of knowing each other well. Last season, the Pacers knocked the Bucks out of the NBA Playoffs. Giannis Antetokounmpo was not available. Will the Pacers be able to handle the Bucks when their best player is on the court? Let’s find out together.
First Half Of Game 1 In NBA Playoffs
The game started fast with the Pacers winning the tip. Myles Turner hit a three to put the blue and gold on the scoreboard. The Bucks would also start fast with Ryan Rollins getting to the paint for a layup. The first quarter would be a back-and-forth affair until the 3:19 mark where the Pacers would gain a little separation.
At the 2:06 mark, Pascal Siakam hit a 28-foot-three with Obi Toppin on the assist to make it a 30-19 game. At the end of the first, it would be a 33-25 lead for the blue and gold. The Pacers would gain even more control in the second quarter with everyone taking part in growing this lead. The Bucks would only have one starter with double figures scoring at the half with Antetokounmpo having 19 points. The Pacers hold a 67-43 lead at the half. The bench scored 20 points to help out. The Pacers were in full control. Let’s see if they keep this momentum for the second half.
The Second Half
The Pacers would keep their foot on the gas to start the second half. The first points went to the Bucks when Brook Lopez hit two free throws to make it a 67-45 game. Andrew Nembhard would be the first Pacer to score with a 22-foot jump shot to make it 69-45. Indiana’s defense would ramp up with the Bucks not scoring again till the 8:19 mark of the third with the score at 74-49.
The Bucks finally got a spark but Turner hit a three on the next possession to make it 77-49. The Pacers would continue to play in front with the score at the end of three quarters 93-76. The fourth quarter started with a TJ McConnell 17-foot jump shot to make it 95-76. The Pacers held a 25-point lead at one point. The Bucks fought back to make it a 107-95 game with 2:58 to go in the fourth.
The Pacers missed eight shots in a row until Turner hit a stepback three to make it 110-95. The Pacers would not look back to secure the wire-to-wire win. The Pacers set the tone in Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs.
Final Thoughts
The Pacers took Game 1 of the best-of-7 series against the Bucks. The Bucks leading scorer of Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs was Antetokounmpo with 36 points, 13 rebounds, and 1 assist. The Pacers leading scorer was Siakam with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. My takeaway is if the Bucks have any chance they will need more scoring from other players besides Antetokounmpo in the NBA Playoffs. The Bucks have no chance of winning with two of their starters not able to score a point. Stay tuned to Total Apex for all the latest NBA Playoff news.
More must-reads:
- Celtics' moves suggest new guard will be traded — eventually
- Kevin Love reportedly has preferred buyout destination
- The 'NBA playoff point-per-game leaders' quiz
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Concerning update emerges about Celtics' new starting center
Since being eliminated in the second round of the NBA playoffs, the Boston Celtics have endured a significant talent drain. Brad Stevens came into the summer knowing he needed to decrease the current payroll. Boston was on track to pay out close to $500 million in salaries and luxury-tax penalties. Unfortunately for Celtics fans, that meant that multiple key members of the roster were set to leave the franchise. Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet and likely Al Horford have all found new homes this summer. The worrying part is that three of those names were core frontcourt contributors. In their place, Boston will now rely on Neemias Queta, Luka Garza and Xavier Tillman. Not only does the Celtics frontcourt lack experience, it's also short on size and perimeter scoring. To make matters worse, it has now been revealed that Queta, who is expected to be Boston's starting center, underwent offseason surgery. “It’s been good,” Queta told Bobby Manning of CLNS Media. “We’ve been dealing with this stuff (since) a couple years ago. We just decided it was a great time for us to do it. We’re trying to get back to 100%. We feel pretty confident in the process and we’re just grateful that we were taken care of, and I want to make sure I’m healthy and get back to 100% and I feel like I’m on the right path to do that.” Queta is expected to be 100 percent healthy by the time the Celtics open training camp. However, the concern should be that Queta, who has rarely dealt with a sizable role, needed surgery in the first place. 7-footers often deal with knee and back issues. The fact that he's suffered an injury without a significant workload means there should be caution about relying on him to be the starting big man moving forward. At 26 years old, Queta is nearing his prime years. He's not a developmental talent anymore. Yet, he spent last season as Boston's fourth-string center, and will now jump into the starting lineup. Celtics fans should have a high level of concern over his viability in that role, both in terms of talent and whether his body can deal with the additional impact on his knees. Brad Stevens and the Celtics franchise do a great job of keeping things under wraps. The fact that Queta's surgery was kept secret for so long is impressive. But now that the news is out there, all eyes will be on how he handles the rigors of his new role, and whether his body will allow him to become a suitable candidate for the long-term starter's role in the middle of the court.
Vikings offense has sizable hole following first-round WR's NFL ruling
The Minnesota Vikings will be without one of their top wide receivers for the start of the regular season. On Tuesday, wideout Jordan Addison was suspended without pay for the season's first three games after pleading no contest earlier this offseason to a "wet reckless" charge. He was initially charged with DUI on July 12, 2024 and pleaded not guilty to those counts on Dec. 3, 2024. In July 2023, he was also cited for speeding a reckless driving when going 140 mph in a 55 mph zone. During his first two seasons, Addison, a 2023 first-round pick (No. 23 overall), has 133 receptions, 1,786 receiving yards (13.4 yards per reception) and 19 touchdowns. During that span, only Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans and Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown have more receiving touchdowns. His absence is a blow to the Vikings offense, entering its first season with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy as the starting quarterback. While McCarthy will still have arguably the NFL's best wide receiver, Justin Jefferson, to throw to during the season's first three weeks, Addison's suspension severely compromises the team's depth. Jalen Nailor, a 2022 sixth-rounder, should be in line for an increase in playing time. Last season, he played a career-high 51 percent of his available offensive snaps, via Pro Football Reference. Offseason free-agent signings Rondale Moore and Tim Jones, 2025 third-round pick Tai Felton and undrafted free agents Lucky Jackson and Silas Bolden could also be forced into more prominent roles. Last season, Moore missed the entire year after suffering a training-camp knee injury with the Atlanta Falcons, while Jones had just three receptions on five targets for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Felton and Bolden are rookies and might not be ready for heavy workloads, while Jackson is possibly having the best training camp of the group, recently making impressive plays on back-to-back days. Regardless of who takes Addison's snaps, the Vikings offense won't be at full strength to begin the season. Opponents will be able to focus their attention on Jefferson with double-teams and force Minnesota's unproven secondary and tertiary options to beat them. It's not an ideal set of circumstances for McCarthy as he preps for his regular-season debut, but the Vikings have no other choice than to make it work.
Jerry Jones vocal in defense of handshake deal not being honored by Micah Parsons
Jerry Jones seems to be a firm believer that a handshake deal is as binding as any written contract. The Dallas Cowboys owner has maintained his stance that he had reached a verbal agreement with Micah Parsons on a contract extension back in March. On Tuesday, Jones was asked by NFL Network’s Jane Slater about the agreement not being put in writing. The 82-year-old claimed his initial acquisition of the Cowboys in 1989 started with a similar handshake deal. “I bought the Dallas Cowboys with a handshake,” Jones said, via The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “It took about 30 seconds. I gave the number, shook hands, the details we worked out later. As a matter of fact, one of the details involved a lot of money and I had to flip a coin over that. But the fundamental, ‘I’m buying and you’re gonna sell it to me for that range,’ that’s done. And those are done with eye contact and handshake. “Just so you understand the way that I communicate with people that I negotiate with. Let’s leave it at that. There’s no question that in the case of a player contract, you have to have it in writing. All parties do. We have a contract in writing, yet we’re still talking about renegotiating, so so much for that.” Parsons does not deny that he talked about contract terms with Jones in March. However, the star linebacker claims that he did not believe the conversation to be a formal negotiation. Parsons asserted in his trade request statement that he believed the conversation was going to be about team leadership before Jones shifted gears to talk about an extension. You can read more about Parsons’ side of the story here.
Brewers righty deserves consideration as dark-horse Cy Young candidate
The Milwaukee Brewers' trade with the Boston Red Sox early in the season flew under the radar. The Brewers acquired former top prospect Quinn Priester from the Red Sox, sending outfield prospect Yophery Rodriguez to Boston on April 7. Pitching prospect John Holobetz was sent to the Red Sox on May 5 to complete the trade. Priester had been expected to be a top-of-the-rotation arm, lauded for his athleticism and plus fastball and curve. However, he struggled during his time in the majors in 2023 and 2024, posting a combined 6.23 ERA and a 1.555 WHiP over 99.2 innings, striking out 69 batters with 41 walks while serving up 19 home runs. Despite a solid outing in his only appearance for the Red Sox, Priester remained in Triple-A as nothing more than pitching depth. That changed with his arrival in Milwaukee. He has exceeded expectations, either as a traditional starter or following an opener. Priester has posted a 3.15 ERA and a 1.190 WHiP over his 114.1 innings for the Brewers, striking out 93 batters with 38 walks. Opponents have mustered a meager .228/.294/.382 batting line in 471 plate appearances with just 13 homers. The Brewers' 64-48 record entering Tuesday is the best in the majors despite a nondescript rotation. While Freddy Peralta is a top-of-the-rotation arm in his own right, staff ace Brandon Woodruff missed all of 2024 and most of the first half of 2025. Pitchers such as Chad Patrick, Tobias Myers and Jose Quintana are back-of-the-rotation arms at this point. The Brewers needed someone to step up with Priester being the unlikely hero. Pitchers Paul Skenes and Zack Wheeler are the prohibitive favorites to win the National League Cy Young Award. BetMGM does not have Priester listed as one of the 10 most likely candidates to take home the hardware. However, Priester's performance, coupled with the Brewers' success this season, is worthy of attention. If he can continue to perform at this level, Priester deserves at least some consideration on the ballot.
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