Bucks vs Pacers G2 Preview: Lillard is expected to return Brother Alphabet is talking about winning on the road

At 7 a.m. Beijing time on April 23, the Pacers will play the Bucks at home. In the first meeting between the two teams, the Pacers defeated the Bucks 117-98. Now that they meet again, Lillard is expected to return, can the Bucks equalize the score?

The Pacers won G1 with ease, but coach Carlisle immediately warned his team not to be overconfident. "This series is only a seventh, and the second game will be much more difficult than the first," Carlisle said, "and everyone on our team will have to be ready to maintain a high level of performance." ”

In the G1 game, Siakam scored 25 points, Myles Turner contributed 19 points, and Nembhard scored 17 points. The Pacers led by 28 points at their most and shot 51.9 percent from the field. In contrast, the Bucks have very limited scoring points. With 36 points and 12 rebounds, he almost single-handedly carried the team, but it was still not enough to compete with the Pacers. The Bucks were already trailing by 24 points at halftime.

"That's not our normal level," he said of the Bucks' G1 performance, "and I think we're going to play better." We improved in the second half and they only scored 50 points in the second half. We were much better in the second half. Hopefully we can carry that form into the next game, play our style and make the players more comfortable on the pitch. ”

Bucks guard Lillard, who is likely to return in G2, missed the first game, and the team has upgraded his G2 status to doubtful. The good news is that the deep vein thrombosis in his right calf has been resolved, but the Bucks are still weighing how quickly he can get him back on the court. Lillard's last game was against the Warriors on March 19.

The 34-year-old Lillard has been training with the team, and even near the end of G1, he got into an argument with Siakam on the bench and received a technical foul for it. Lillard has been fully involved in the team's practice since last Friday.

Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said the team wants Lillard to play in this series. Even if Ladd can return in G2, the Bucks will still face a tough battle, with the Pacers having a 16-3 home record after the All-Star weekend, including a G1 victory.

'It's a strong team and you have to give it your all against them,' he said, 'and they don't give up the win easily, you have to work the pitch. To put it simply, in order to win this series, we have to win on the road. It's that simple, we have to find a way to win. ”

In the G1 game, the Pacers managed to limit the other four starters of the Bucks. The four combined for just 5-of-20 shooting (25 percent shooting) for a total of just 14 points. Still, Turner said there is still room for improvement for the Pacers.

"The first game was all about figuring things out," Turner said, "to set our benchmark, to make adjustments and to keep improving. It's great to learn about our current state. Now we're going to watch the game footage, spend two days evaluating it, and then make adjustments accordingly. In G1, the Pacers also limited the Bucks to 24.3 percent three-point shooting (9-of-37), while the Bucks entered the playoffs with the highest three-point shooting percentage in the league at 38.7 percent.

Lillard's imminent return will undoubtedly be an immediate boost for the Bucks. The nine-time All-Star is averaging 24.9 points and 7.1 assists per game in 58 games this season.

List of injuries and illnesses

Bucks: Tyler Smith is out and Lillard is doubtful

Pacers: Isaiah Jackson is out

ESPN Predicted Win Rate:Bucks 39.6%, Pacers 60.4%