APRIL 21, 2024 — The 2023-24 NBA playoffs are in full swing. Following a four-game slate on Saturday, the action continues with a three-game slate on Sunday. One of the games on tap for today features the Milwaukee Bucks(47-36) taking on the Indiana Pacers(49-33).
Here is a look at how the two teams have performed heading into the opening game of this first-round playoff series.
Tipoff
When: Sunday, April 21, 2024 at 7:00 PM ET
Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
TV: TNT
Bucks vs. Pacers – Regular Season Stats & Trends
Can The Bucks Bounce Back From Late Season Struggles?
Milwaukee Bucks Season Stats:
- Scoring Offense: 119 PPG – 4TH
- Offensive Efficiency: 118.4 points per 100 possessions – 6TH
- Scoring Defense: 116.4 PPG – 21ST
- Defensive Efficiency: 115.8 points per 100 possessions – 19TH
The Bucks struggled down the stretch, dropping seven of their last 10 games, thus bumping them down to the No. 3 spot. Milwaukee enters this matchup following back-to-back losses against the Oklahoma City Thunder (125-107) and the Orlando Magic (113-88).
In the loss to the Magic, Bobby Portis finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and two steals. Khris Middleton also scored 17 points but shot just 6-for-15 from the floor. Damian Lillard contributed 16 points and four assists.
However, he shot an abysmal 2-for-14 from the field and missed each of his four attempts from distance. But despite the Bucks’ late-season struggles, the veteran point guard seems unfazed by the upcoming postseason clash against the Pacers.
Lillard said, via ESPN:
I feel good about it. I think the one thing about the playoffs this season is everybody can beat everybody. Happy that we got home court, and it’s a team we are familiar with.”
After winning 30 of their first 43 games, the Bucks opted to replace Adrian Griffin with Doc Rivers. The team has gone 19-20 since Griffin’s departure. Should they flame out in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight season, that decision will be questioned for multiple reasons.
Can The Pacers Continue Dominance?
Indiana Pacers Season Stats:
- Scoring Offense: 123.3 PPG – 1ST
- Offensive Efficiency: 121.0 points per 100 possessions – 2ND
- Scoring Defense: 120.2 PPG – 27TH
- Defensive Efficiency: 118.0 points per 100 possessions – 24TH
The Pacers finished with the sixth-best record in the Eastern Conference. They have won seven of their last 10 games, including a 157-115 beatdown of the Atlanta Hawks in the season finale. Myles Turner paced the team’s offense with 31 points, 14 boards, and four blocked shots.
Pascal Siakam added 28 points on 13-for-18 shooting from the floor. He also grabbed six rebounds. T.J. McConnell scored 17 points off the bench. He shot 7-for-11 from the field and knocked down three of his four attempts from beyond the arc.
Myles Turner said after that game:
I’m proud of this group. It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t pretty, but we got to where we needed to go. It’s been a long four years.
The Pacers’ offense had one of its best performances of the season. They shot a blistering 65 percent from the floor and 52.8 percent from 3-point range. Not only that, but they beat the Bucks four times in the five meetings between these ball clubs during the regular season. The playoffs are just getting underway, and surprises can happen all of the time in the NBA! But there is a clear history here. Will that trend continue or can the Bucks figure out how to knock off their division foes in this postseason matchup?
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