How Pacers are approaching Game 2 of playoffs series against Bucks
MILWAUKEE (WISH) — The Indiana Pacers are hoping to bounce back on Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks beat the Pacers 109-94 on Sunday in Game 1 of their NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoffs series.
“Obviously it’s frustrating,” Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton said Monday. “We feel like we could have come out with more energy. (We) let the game kind of slip away in that second quarter (when) they went on a big run. We fought back to make it presentable. But we ought to be better in those spurts and do a better job as players of reeling it in when things are getting bad.”
Indiana trailed by as many as 30 points in the first half of that opening game loss.
“I thought that we did a lot of the right things in the second half,” Pacers power forward Pascal Siakam said. “You can argue that they were up and whatever, but I think that our approach was way better and that’s the approach that we need to have.”
The Pacers were back on the court inside Fiserv Forum on Monday afternoon, taking part in a practice. Despite the 1-0 deficit in the series, they remain positive.
“This is what it’s about,” Siakam said. “We worked for this all year long.”
Siakam has the most playoff experience on the Pacers roster. He has played in over 50 playoff games during his NBA career. So, he’s been in similar situations like the one the Pacers are in now. Because of that experience, he has a simple message to his current team.
“It’s a series, so first to four games,” Siakam said. “We just got to come in with better intensity.”
Indiana knows the importance of Game 2 because teams that go up 2-0 in a best-of-seven NBA series go on to win 92.7% of the time. That’s why the Pacers want to even the series at a game apiece before heading back to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Friday’s Game 3.
“We were obviously the team that needs to make the adjustments,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “So, we’re in the process of doing that. And there’s obviously a lot of things that we have to do better.”
Tip-off on Tuesday is set for 8:30 p.m. EDT inside Fiserv Forum.