The Pacers are coming off a 126-113 win against the Bucks in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series, and are now in the driver’s seat to close out the series Tuesday night. The Bucks were without Damian Lillard for Game 4, and could be without him and Giannis Antetokounmpo for Game 5. Lillard and Antetokounmpo are both listed as doubtful, putting the likelihood that Milwaukee is able to extend their season in serious doubt.
Milwaukee hasn’t made it easy for Indiana, but without Lillard and Giannis this team just doesn’t have the firepower to challenge the Pacers.
“We have to play as hard as we can. We have to execute our game plan. We have to keep guys in check. Even though we’ve been down before, we’re down two guys now, we’ve still got all the confidence in the world that we can get back here,” Bucks’ Khris Middleton told reporters.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of Game 5.
Bucks vs. Pacers — Game 5 info
- Date: Tuesday, April 30 | Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Fiserv Forum — Milwaukee
- TV channel: TNT | Live stream: Watch TNT, Max
- Odds: Pacers -4.5, O/U: 216
Bucks vs. Pacers storylines
Bucks: Giannis is likely out, Lillard seems to be trending in that direction, and if that’s the case, it feels like Milwaukee should be planning for the offseason at this point. The Bucks have shown fight in this series even without their star players, but the Pacers will likely want to end this quickly to prepare for the next round. If Milwaukee loses, it’s going to set up an interesting offseason where some serious questions will need to be answered about the roster being built around Giannis.
Pacers: Indiana has been tested in this series, but so far the Pacers have answered well when pressured. But Tyrese Haliburton needs to show why he was an All-Star this season. He’s averaging 15.8 points on just 43.6% shooting from the floor, and while it hasn’t been much of an issue with Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner leading the way, Haliburton’s scoring unlocks a lot for Indiana’s offense. Now would be a great time for him to get into rhythm before they face a Knicks team in the second round that won’t make anything easy for him on offense.
Game 5 prediction
The Bucks showed some heart in Game 1 of this series to win without Giannis, but since then they’ve sorely missed the two-time league MVP. If Lillard is also out, I don’t give them much of a chance. The Pick: Pacers -4.5
