In Indianapolis, Giannis Antetokounmpo showcased his phenomenal skills in yet another classic playoff display this Saturday. Despite his valiant efforts, the rest of the Milwaukee Bucks appeared to falter, reminiscent of past struggles.
Having reconstructed their lineup at the trade deadline, the Bucks had a full season to adapt to coach Doc Rivers’ strategies, all culminating in the NBA’s top regular-season three-point percentage. Yet, during Game 1, they faced familiar postseason challenges, raising concerns of a potential third consecutive first-round playoff exit.
Antetokounmpo aggressively tallied 36 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Unfortunately, no other teammate emerged as a significant contributor, with no scores surpassing 15 points. Kyle Kuzma, a crucial February acquisition, was notably ineffective, becoming the sixth player since the 1974-75 season to play over 20 minutes without recording a single statistic—a rarity over the last decade. Kuzma’s performance was critically lacking; he missed all five field goal attempts and failed to convert either of his free throws, while not contributing any rebounds, assists, steals, or blocks. In a 117-98 defeat that left the Bucks trailing 1-0 in their best-of-seven series, Kuzma only managed to draw two fouls.
Rivers, reflecting on the game, remarked, “It’s hard to score when you don’t touch the ball. I mean, no offense, Kyle got two shots in the first half, both with two seconds in the shot clock. Kuzma can play, but we’ve got to involve him, and we’ve got to make sure we keep him involved.”
Kuzma’s poor performance wasn’t isolated. Antetokounmpo’s fellow starters collectively managed only 14 points, with Taurean Prince also failing to score.
The situation was severe for the Bucks. They struggled immensely from beyond the arc, shooting only 2 of 16 on 3-pointers during the first half and ending 9 out of 37, despite achieving a 38.7% average in their earlier games. Even after rallying from a 28-point shortfall to narrow the gap to 107-95 with just over five minutes remaining, their momentum waned. Milwaukee added just one more inconsequential 3-pointer as the game closed.
Indiana seized the upper hand early on, never trailing after gaining a 10-8 lead. During the second half, the Bucks couldn’t shrink the margin to single digits.
Reflecting on the missed opportunities, Kevin Porter Jr. commented after making 12 points, “We made a big run. We got it to I think 13, 12, or something like that, and it was a game. But we can’t allow it to get to that point. We’ve got to come out fast, and we didn’t do that today.”
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, despite the victory, acknowledged the team’s defensive lapses, especially in the latter half. “Giannis got to the basket way too much,” Carlisle noted. “We’re trying to build walls and he’s still getting there. He’s a great player and great players cause collateral problems, so it’s not a surprise. But we’ve got to look at that, and we fouled them a lot.”
Both squads now have a two-day window to adjust strategies before Game 2 unfolds in Indianapolis on Tuesday night. The Bucks, however, have some hope on the horizon. Nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard has been recovering from deep vein thrombosis in his right calf and was recently cleared to resume basketball activities. Lillard is ramping up his workouts, aiming for a return on Tuesday night.
Previously, Lillard averaged 31.3 points per game, while Khris Middleton, traded for Kuzma, had an average of 24.3 points during last year’s first-round series, which Antetokounmpo missed due to a calf injury. Indiana triumphed in that matchup, advancing with a 4-2 series win. Lillard averaged 18.3 points in this year’s four prior encounters.
With the uncertainty surrounding Lillard’s immediate impact, his return is poised to be a potential boost for the Bucks to overcome Saturday’s slow start. Antetokounmpo remains optimistic, saying, “I feel like everybody’s trying to do the right things, everybody has the right intentions. We’ve just got to be better at having patience and just trusting one another.”