The first four minutes of the game, when the two sides were merely trading blows, saw the Pacers take their largest lead of two points. However, Indiana did not put up much of a fight when Milwaukee began to back off.
Milwaukee Bucks Destroy Indiana Pacers Damian Lillard exploded for 35 points in the first half, giving the Bucks a 27-point advantage over the Pacers at the intermission. Carlisle’s team had no answer for him.
Rick Carlisle, the head coach of the Indiana Pacers, wasn’t shy about chiding his squad following their lacklustre performance in Game 1 of their NBA Playoffs series against the Milwaukee Bucks./cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70282289/1237061146.0.jpg)
Despite the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks maintained control and aggression throughout the game, well aware that the Pacers would undoubtedly make a strong comeback if they made a mistake.
Indiana made a valiant effort to maintain attention in the second half. Nevertheless, even though they double- or triple-teamed Lillard in the remaining 24 minutes and held him scoreless, it was insufficient since it just created opportunities for the other Bucks players to score.
Pascal Siakam scored 36 points and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead the Pacers. Myles Turner added eight rebounds and 17 points as well. Tyrese Haliburton, their superstar, was, however, completely shut down during the game and only managed nine points, seven rebounds, and eight assists.
Haliburton only attempted seven shots during the contest, which undoubtedly had an impact on Indiana’s typically explosive offence. Although it wasn’t evident on Sunday night, the Pacers had the second-best offensive rating going into the playoffs.
Coach Rick Carlisle of the Indiana Pacers Responds to the Milwaukee Bucks Loss
In a post-game interview with media, Rick Carlisle was blunt in his assessment of his Indiana Pacers’ performance in the contest.
un particular, Carlisle said that they appeared “inexperienced” and that their first half was just “embarrassing” against a squad that they had defeated four times out of five un the regular season.
“The first part of it was awkward. Make no excuses. We just need to perform better. We’re all guilty of it being ugly. Carlisle stated, “We looked inexperienced, and they looked like the experienced team,” according to Dustin Dopirak of Indy Star.
That was the root of many of the issues. You can discuss how different the playoffs are, but going through them in person is a different story. They have amazing supporters, this is a fantastic building, and they get the significance of this game. Give them credit for their performance in the first half, but we clearly need to improve because we were far worse.
There’s no doubt that Carlisle could not have put it better. Against a depleted Bucks team, the Pacers looked vulnerable when everyone else thought they would be a threat.
Naturally, Bucks supporters hope that the Pacers will continue to struggle in their series. On the other hand, there’s a good chance they can at least maintain competition.
The Bucks-Pacers series’ second game is set for Tuesday, April 23.
