Pacers Must Exploit Bucks Big Weakness to Advance

The Indiana Pacers will soon host their division rivals, the Milwaukee Bucks, for the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. This matchup will be the second consecutive season in which the Pacers will play the Bucks, but this time, Indiana will have home-court advantage.

Only time will tell whether that will be the difference in this series. While the Bucks have the advantage in terms of having the best player in the series, the Pacers will prove to be the best team. 

Like the other playoff teams, both of these teams have weaknesses, but in the playoffs, it's all about exposing those weaknesses. The Pacers will look to do just that with the Bucks, and that weakness fits right into what Indiana wants to do: run. 

It fits right into what the Pacers love to do because they are a run-and-gun team. Although everything slows down in the playoffs, the Pacers will plan to run the floor as much as possible, especially against the Bucks, who are not great at transition defense. 

Bucks head coach Doc Rivers spoke on his team's struggle in that category. 

“We like our defense,” Rivers said. “We don’t like our transition defense right now. That’s one area where we thought we were doing great, and it’s kind of slipped away.”

“Listen, we play Indiana. If we’re not good in transition D, we’re not going to be very good.”

The Pacers have built a reputation around their fast-paced offensive style, leaning heavily on speed, spacing, and perimeter shooting. They thrive in transition, often turning defensive stops into quick scoring chances before opposing defenses can get set. 

While their offensive approach has continued to evolve, their identity remains rooted in tempo and the ability to capitalize on fastbreak opportunities.

The Pacers could very well expose the Bucks' transition defense and should look to do just that. The Pacers love to grab the board and immediately start their offense. According to NBA.com, they averaged 17.5 fastbreak points per game this season. In four games against the Bucks, they averaged 24.3 fastbreak points per game. 

Indiana will look to do what they do best, while the Bucks will be challenged to minimize that to the best of their ability. 

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For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, head on over to Indiana Pacers on SI.