The Milwaukee Bucks are facing the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, and while the Cream City franchise is the higher-seeded team, facing off against Tyrese Haliburton and Co. won’t be easy.
After all, as the Pacers have proven all season long, they are one of the most dangerous teams in the Eastern Conference.
Indiana Pacers a Major Offensive Threat to Milwaukee Bucks
With the Pacers winning their final regular season game against the Atlanta Hawks, they were able to secure the sixth seed in the East. Meanwhile, the Bucks lost to the Orlando Magic, causing them to drop to the no. 3 seed after the New York Knicks won their own battle against the Chicago Bulls.
As a result, the Pacers and Bucks–who have a budding rivalry that started during the In-Season Tournament–now face off against each other in the playoffs. Milwaukee has homecourt advantage, but it won’t make things easier for them.
The Pacers got the better of the Bucks during the season, winning four times out of the five games they played–including in the In-Season Tournament. That is already a scary thought to think about as Milwaukee prepares for Indiana, but there’s more to the Pacers than their record.
As StatMuse noted, the Pacers are the first team to score 10,000 points in a season since the 1983-84 Denver Nuggets. That’s a 40-year wait, and it speaks volumes of how historically good the Indiana offense is.
The problem for the Bucks is that they aren’t a great defensive team. Sure, they are a much-improved defensive squad under Doc Rivers–tallying a Top-15 defense in both February and March–but their recent struggles are a cause for concern and won’t raise hopes up.
Hopefully Giannis Antetokounmpo returns to 100 percent health amid his recovery from calf injury. Without him, there’s just no one to anchor the Milwaukee defense.
What Doc Rivers Says About Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers
Despite the threat they are facing, Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers is embracing the Indiana Pacers challenge. After Sunday’s loss to the Orlando Magic, Rivers opened up about the match-up and described it as “perfect” for them.
“Indiana has had our number all year, so perfect opponent,” Rivers said. “Listen, we gotta play somebody and they’re tough. They’ve played great against us. They probably have great confidence against us. We’ll have great focus because we’re going to have to.”
Sure enough, the Bucks will be tested against the Pacers. But if they can beat them in a seven-game series, it will go a long way in proving their championship mettle.
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