Pascal Siakam gets last laugh in Pacers' Game 2 win over Bucks

Siakam finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds as the Indiana Pacers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 123-115. His three-pointer followed a 13-0 Bucks run that got them within two points, but a defensive breakdown left Siakam wide open behind the arc.

It was a chippy contest between two teams who have had animosity dating back to last season. In the first quarter, Milwaukee's Gary Trent, Jr. fouled Siakam on a drive, throwing him to the ground. Trent and Indiana's Bennedict Mathurin got double technicals after both teams looked on the verge of fisticuffs, though actual physical confrontations are rare in the NBA playoffs.

That battle appeared to cool down when Indiana's James Johnson, who moonlights as a kick boxer, stood up from the bench.

Tempers flared again late when Giannis Antetokounmpo blocked Tyrese Haliburton (21 points, 12 assists) late. Just as he'd done in street clothes during Game 1, Damian Lillard started jawing at Haliburton. The sequence ended with Siakam and Bobby Portis getting double technicals, then Andrew Nembhard making a dagger three.

Nembhard had a strong game with 17 points and six assists, part of a Pacers offensive attack that saw six players score 14 or more points. The Pacers shot 16-for-36 from three-point range and turned the ball over only eight times on a night where the Bucks really only slowed them down during that late run.

Milwaukee got great performances from Antetokounmpo (34 points, 18 rebounds, seven assists) and Portis (28 points, 12 rebounds), while Lillard played a surprising 37 minutes in his first game back from a blood clot issue, adding 14 points and seven assists.

But it wasn't enough on a night where the Pacers got too many easy buckets.

The Bucks showed they can hang with the Pacers when it comes to self-defense. When it comes to NBA defense, they have a lot to figure out the rest of the series.