Pacers Promise to Improve in Game 2 Following Their Loss in Game 1
Rick Carlisle, the head coach of the Pacers, stated, “We’re obviously the team that needs to make the adjustments.” We are currently working on it. Clearly, there are many areas in which we need to improve.”
After the Bucks jumped out to a 30-point lead in the first half and All-Star guard Damian Lillard scored 35 points in the first two quarters of their 109-94 loss, there wasn’t much else to say. The Blue & Gold’s loss on Sunday only counts as one game in a seven-game series, which is fantastic news. Actually, it was only the team with the better seed holding the serve. The Pacers would have homecourt advantage in the series if they could win Game 2 and go back to Indianapolis.
Having started for the Toronto club that won a title in 2019, Pascal Siakam has the most playoff experience of any player on the Pacers. In addition, he played the best in Game 1, scoring a playoff career-high 36 points on 15 of 25 shots and pulling down 13 rebounds.
Siakam frequently stressed the value of maintaining composure during a seven-game series’ ups and downs in the run-up to the playoffs. This message is especially crucial in light of Game 1’s lackluster performance.
“Simply stick with it,” Siakam said. This is a first-to-four game series. We simply need to enter the situation with more vigor, in my opinion. They performed admirably. Their game was excellent. When they emerged, Dame had been close to unconscious during the first half. He acts in that manner. He is a superb athlete. Middleton (Khris) was acting in a similar manner. All we need to do is get more focused, intense, and aggressive and try again.
That’s all I have to say. It’s only one game at the end of the day, regardless of whether you win by 30 or by one.”
The Pacers’ All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton and Siakam are the first to set an example of accountability. In Game 1, the Bucks’ defense was centered on preventing Haliburton, who only took seven shots in his first postseason game. In less than 38 minutes, he finished with nine points on four of seven shots, seven rebounds, and eight assists.
Haliburton promised to play more aggressively in Game 2 both during practice on Monday and after the game on Sunday.
Haliburton remarked, “I thought their scout was good.” But a lot of it, in my opinion, was more self-inflicted. They play terrific defense and are a solid team, but to be honest, I’m really to blame. I promise to improve tomorrow.”
In the second half of the season, Haliburton noted the Bucks didn’t do anything structurally different from the coverages he’s become used to seeing. The bulk of Patrick Beverley’s minutes were spent on Haliburton, and Milwaukee appeared determined to keep the ball out of his hands as much as possible.
The Bucks’ ability to set the pace was Haliburton’s main learning from Game 1. Throughout the regular season, the Pacers’ offense was historically excellent, leading the league in field goal percentage (.507), assists (30.8 per game), and scoring (123.3 points per game). Their ability to get out and run is so important to their success there, as backup point guard T.J. McConnell and Haliburton are always trying to pick up the pace.
On Sunday, though, the Bucks managed to slow down Indiana. The Pacers concluded the game with a season-low 94 points on just 39.6 percent shooting (20.5 percent from 3-point range), with just four fastbreak points in the first half.
“Controlling the pace is difficult when you’re taking the ball out of the rim,” Haliburton remarked. “In order for us to be able to run, we need to improve at getting stops. We didn’t seem to be able to accomplish that very often.The defensive work we perform is a significant component of our offense. But we still need to improve our ability to get it out and down the floor with some pop, even when they’re making shots.
The Bucks have been able to clog the paint in the halfcourt by preventing the Pacers from going into transition. They have done this by keeping 7-foot-1 center Brook Lopez there to prevent the Pacers from attacking the rim.
Milwaukee did give the Pacers some good looks from beyond the arc on kick-outs as a result of their attention, but the Pacers just couldn’t finish shots on Sunday, particularly in the first half. It took Indiana 13 attempts to make a 3-pointer before Myles Turner finally connected with 2:55 left in the second quarter.
“We make some shots, and the game changes course,” Haliburton remarked. There’s no panic button this way. We’re going to carry on with our routine, execute our offense in the same way, and make shots.Tomorrow, we’ll be even better.The Pacers can find some comfort in the fact that their second-half performance was better. They held Lillard scoreless after the half after he had scorched them for the previous two quarters. And they started to establish some offensive rhythm, especially in the latter portion of the third quarter when they scored a 13-2 run to bring the score back to within twelve.
The Bucks put the game away with a run of their own in the beginning of the fourth quarter, making a comeback attempt futile. However, the Pacers displayed some vitality.
Siakam remarked, “I thought we just had a little bit more.” “It’s about that, having a little bit more in the playoffs. There must be a great deal more. Increase your level of aggression and compete. Our competitiveness must increase.”