Bucks vs Pacers G1 Preview: Brother Alphabet vs. Haliburton Lillard has not returned for the time being

At 1 a.m. Beijing time on April 20, the first game day of the NBA playoffs will be ushered in, and the Pacers will face the Bucks at home, which is the first game of the playoffs in the 2024-25 season. Haliburton vs. Antetokounmpo, Lillard has not returned for the time being.

The Bucks are 48-34 in the regular season and 5th in the East; The Pacers are 50-32 in the regular season and sit fourth in the East. The two teams have met 4 times in the regular season, with the Bucks winning 3-1.

Two-time All-Star Haliburton has a hunch that this year's NBA playoffs will be different. It's not because the Pacers have 50 wins for the first time since the 2013-2014 season, or because they'll host their first home game in a playoff series for the first time since that season, or even because Haliburton is making consecutive playoff games for the first time in his career.

Instead, he and his teammates felt they had a mission on their shoulders: to prove that it wasn't a coincidence that they reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season. In fact, they believe they can go even further this year.

"I feel like last year we were just excited to make the playoffs. Honestly, every game since then, we've been like we've been giving it a go, nothing to worry about," Haliburton said after the Pacers' first practice this week. And when I say special, I'm talking about winning the championship. ”

The rhetoric came from the leaders of the fourth-seeded team in the East, and they are about to face the in-form Bucks led by two-time regular season MVP Antetokounmpo. The data also provided support for his confidence. Since Jan. 2, only three teams have outperformed the Pacers: the Thunder, the top seeds in the West, and the top two seeds in the East, the Cavaliers and Celtics. Also, the Pacers eliminated the Bucks last year with a 4-2 aggregate score.

However, in this rematch of the playoffs, the situation is very different.

Unlike last season's hastily adapting to Siakam's tactical traits, the Pacers now have a season and a half, plus an offseason, to integrate the three-time All-Star into the team.

Last year, the Pacers led the league in the playoffs with 123.3 points per game, but also conceded the most points (120.2 points per game) of any 16 playoff teams. This season, despite a sluggish start that raised questions about their ability to replicate last season's success, they ended up ranking 7th in the league in points per game (117.4) and 17th in points conceded (115.1) per game.

"I feel like we've been working on this moment since we were eliminated from Boston last year," Pacers center Myles Turner said, "and that's what we believe in to get back to the playoffs." Now we're all healthy, ready and looking forward to it. ”

There have also been quite a few changes on the Bucks' side.

He missed the entire series last season with a calf strain, and now he's back to fitness. However, nine-time All-Star guard Lillard's playing is still unclear. Lillard has been treated for deep vein thrombosis in his right calf since March 18 and has not played. He has been allowed to return but will not play in his first game due to the need to adjust his game.

With the acquisition of Kuzma and Porter Jr. at the trade deadline, the Bucks have a larger roster and more athleticism. In addition, the team has been running in with coach Doug Rivers for a full season, and Rivers took over in late January 2024.

And, since Lillard's injury, the Bucks have been one of the hottest teams in the league, winning all eight games of the regular season. He has a triple-double in four of his last five games and is averaging 11.8 assists per game in his last six games.

The Bucks believe that form will help them avoid a third straight first-round playoff exit. "I've watched 20 Pacers games and can guess their playbook," he said, "and they're going to try to speed up the pace and play fast." We must be prepared. ”

This season, Bucks forward Portis has been suspended for 25 games after testing positive for the painkiller tramadol. After the suspension, he played in the final three games of the regular season in preparation for the playoffs.

In Game 4 of last season's series, Portis was ejected early. But he said the struggles he has experienced this season will help him better manage his emotions.

List of injuries and illnesses

Bucks: Lillard, Tyler Smith are out

Pacers: Isaiah Jackson is out, Ben Shepard is likely to play

ESPN Predicted Win Rate:Bucks 31.5%, Pacers 68.5%