Moments after Indiana finished a dominant win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was already looking ahead.
The Pacers never trailed after taking the lead early in the first quarter, but Carlisle cautioned his team about becoming overconfident entering Game 2 of the best-of-seven series Tuesday in Indianapolis.
"The series is one-seventh over, and Game 2 will be monumentally more difficult than this one," Carlisle said. "Everybody on our team has got to be armed and dangerous. Striking the right balance is everything for our team."
Indiana claimed the 1-0 lead with a 117-98 win on Saturday. Pascal Siakam scored 25 points, Myles Turner added 19 and Andrew Nembhard had 17 for Indiana, which led by as many as 28 points and shot 51.9 percent from the field.
Milwaukee lacked scoring options in the opener. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 36 points and 12 rebounds, was a one-man show but it wasn't enough to keep up with the Pacers. The Bucks trailed 67-43 at the half.
"It wasn't us," Antetokounmpo said of his assessment of the way Milwaukee played in Game 1. "I think we're gonna be better. In the second half we were better. They only scored 50 points in the second half. We were way better in the second half. Hopefully we can carry over to the next game and do what we do, guys feel more comfortable out there."
Bucks guard Damian Lillard could return Tuesday after missing Game 1. He was cleared of deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, but the Bucks are weighing how quickly to advance this stage of his recovery. Lillard last played on March 18 against the Golden State Warriors.
The 34-year-old Lillard has been practicing with the team and even received a technical foul after arguing with Siakam from the bench late in Game 1. Lillard has been a full participant in practice since Thursday.
Head coach Doc Rivers said the Bucks are "hopeful" they'll have Lillard on the court during the series.
Even after Lillard returns, Milwaukee faces a tough matchup against an Indiana team that is 16-3 at home since the All-Star break, including Game 1.
"It's a team that plays really good basketball, it's a team that you gotta compete," Antetokounmpo said. "They're not going to give it to you. You gotta go out there and take it from them. And I think just to simplify things: In order for us to win the series we gotta win on the road. So, simple. We just gotta figure out a way to win."
The Pacers held Milwaukee's four starters besides Antetokounmpo to a total of 14 points on 5-of-20 (25 percent) shooting in Game 1, but Turner said there is still room for improvement.
"That's what Game 1 is all about," Turner said. "Get your baseline and make your adjustments and improve from there. Glad to have gotten a dose of where we're at right now. Now we watch film, get two days of evaluating and make our adjustments from here."
Indiana succeeded in slowing down Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma, who went scoreless in 21 minutes on 0-of-5 shooting on Saturday.
The Pacers also limited Milwaukee to 24.3 percent (9 of 37) shooting from 3-point range after the Bucks entered the playoffs as the best 3-point shooting team in the league at 38.7 percent.
Lillard's imminent return should provide an immediate boost. The nine-time All-Star averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists in 58 games this season.
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The Golden State Warriors are yet to reach a resolution with Jonathan Kuminga this summer, and they seem to be biding their time for a superstar, should he be made available. The Golden State Warriors are yet to make any sort of move this offseason, despite being linked to both Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton. Priority number one seems to be figuring out the Jonathan Kuminga situation. He is a restricted free agent, and the Warriors have extended a qualifying offer, keeping him on the books for another season unless he is moved in a sign-and-trade, which seems to be a very real possibility. Kuminga and the Warriors seem to be on the outs, with both parties preferring him to play elsewhere this season, although it could benefit both of them for him to sign a longer deal with Golden State. Warriors would prefer to sign Kuminga to longer deal If Kuminga returns to Golden State on the one-year qualifying offer, he will make $7.9 million next season before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer. As a free agent, he should be able to sign a lucrative deal next summer, but that means spending another year in Golden State, which he doesn’t want to do. On top of that, if he gets injured this season, there is no guarantee that his next contract will be maximized, so there is some risk involved. It seems counter-intuitive for him to sign a big deal with the Warriors, although committing–on paper at least–to the Dubs long term could work out for him. If he signs a new deal, he has to wait three months before being traded, although he will likely have more suitors than he would if he was simply playing on a one-year rental contract. For both the Warriors and Kuminga, signing him for three or four years not only would make him more guaranteed money, but it makes him easier to move. With Kuminga signed to a whole new contract, the Warriors can set their sights on a prized trade target. Kuminga could be centerpiece of Giannis Antetokounmpo trade Giannis Antetokounmpo has yet to demand a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks, but if the Doc Rivers-led team falls flat, even with Myles Turner in town, it stands to reason that the Bucks will have to have a difficult talk next summer. A fourth first-round exit in a row in 2026 would likely spell the end of the Giannis era in Milwaukee, and the Warriors, as well as the rest of the league, are gearing up to add him. With Kuminga signed to a longer deal, the Warriors can include him as a key part of a possible trade package. “There’s another reason why the Warriors don’t want to give Kuminga away for less than his full trade value: Like every other smart team, they’re trying to maintain every asset they’ve got so they’re ready once and if the Giannis Antetokounmpo market heats up,” wrote The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami. “If you’re looking to build a trade around a young player who could step right into a barren roster and give a transitioning team a burst of energy … well, I think the Warriors might have a candidate to bring up if Milwaukee ever asks. That is, if the Warriors and Kuminga can agree on a solid deal this summer.” It will take a lot more than Kuminga to land Antetokounmpo, although the Warriors could toss in Moses Moody, who was extended last summer, as well as up to three first-round picks and multiple pick swaps, possibly enough to get a deal done for a new franchise centerpiece to build around.
Shedeur Sanders has been working with the Cleveland Browns' equipment staff as the No. 4 quarterback this summer. He'll have a new opportunity following troubling injury news for Kenny Pickett. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Pickett suffered a hamstring injury during Saturday's practice and will not receive reps until his issue is re-evaluated. "Browns QB Kenny Pickett injured his hamstring near the end of Saturday’s practice and is expected to re-evaluate the injury later this week, per sources," Schefter posted on X. "Pickett was coming off a strong couple of practices, per sources, and at least for the short term, there now will be more reps for Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Pickett's injury will shake up the quarterback race in Cleveland. Through OTAs and early in training camp, Sanders has been the odd man out as the only signal caller on the roster not to receive reps with the first-team offense. It's unclear if the Browns coaching staff intends to give Sanders reps with the first-team offense now that Pickett is sidelined, but the fifth-round pick will have more chances this week to prove that he deserves an opportunity to stay in Cleveland. The Browns are in a unique situation with their rookie quarterbacks. Third-round pick Dillon Gabriel was selected before Sanders, but the son of Deion Sanders fell to Day 3 of the draft for reasons other than talent. The majority of draft analysts had Sanders as a better-graded quarterback than Gabriel, and many thought the Colorado product would be taken in the first round. The Browns can use the injury as an excuse to give Sanders reps with the first team, and it's a task they need to take advantage of before the team names a starter. Sanders has the potential to be a starter in the league, and this week is pivotal for his rookie season in Cleveland.
The Indiana Fever’s starters turned in a strong all-around effort in Thursday’s 80-70 win over the Las Vegas Aces. The starting unit scored at least 13 points each, save for Aari McDonald, who registered nine points in 22 minutes of action. Indiana’s starters combined for 76 out of the team’s 80 points on the evening, which only means that the four other players who came off the bench accounted for just four points in the game. All that came from Sydney Colson, who went 2-of-5 in 18 minutes of playing time. Lexie Hull, Makayla Timpson and Damiris Dantas all failed to score in the win. Stephanie White Calls Out Fever's Bench Be that as it may, offense wasn’t even the biggest concern for head coach Stephanie White. In her postgame press conference, the veteran shot-caller called out Indiana’s bench for their lack of intensity on the defensive end, particularly in the first half. “Our bench has to be ready,” she said. “I felt like our bench in the second half was really good defensively. In the first half, I didn't feel that way. You got to be ready to come in and you got to be ready to guard your matchup and execute the game plan. "We have depth for a reason. We've got quality depth and we've got to be able to use it. So if fatigue is a factor in execution, then they just need to ask for a sub and I'll get them out and get them back in." It has been a bit of a busy stretch for the Fever at the midway point of the season. Thursday’s matchup against the Aces was their second game in three nights, and they will be back in action again on Sunday in a rivalry showdown against the Chicago Sky. White, however, isn’t accepting fatigue as an excuse. This is regardless of the fact that Caitlin Clark remains out with a re-aggravated groin injury. White is adamant that this roster has been built for adversity, and she didn’t hesitate to put her bench on notice after Thursday’s showing.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback and former Iowa State star Brock Purdy is gaining more chemistry with his tight end, George Kittle. This offseason, Purdy bought a house in Nashville, Tennessee, making it easier to get to Kittle's compound for extra training. “With Brock down there, it’s really fun,” Kittle said. “They give us a list of routes that they want us to focus on, and for us to be able to run 20, 30, 40 routes, two to three days a week, that helps me. So when we get back and we show up here, it’s not like we are running routes for the first time and have that rust.” Kittle is coming off a great 2024 season, where he hauled in 78 receptions for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns. “Obviously, got some work with Kittle, Mason Pline,” Purdy said. “Obviously at George’s place it’s just a bunch of tight ends and everything, but really good work that we got, so I was excited about that.” Kittle has been Purdy's top target since he became the starting quarterback. In the 2024 season, Purdy completed 65.9 percent of his passes for 3,864 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Purdy has been an efficient passer since his time with the Cyclones. In his senior season with Iowa State, Purdy completed 71.7 percent of his passes for 3,188 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. With the extra offseason work, Purdy and Kittle have strengthened their connection, and they should have a great 2025 season. Read More Iowa State Cyclones Coverage