MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥� The Milwaukee Bucks are dealing with injuries to key players during the playoffs 鈥� again. And Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers are standing in their way.
Milwaukee lost against Indiana, though they haven鈥檛 met in the last 3 1/2 months. The Bucks likely won鈥檛 have Giannis Antetokounmpo for the start of their first-round playoff series because of a
The 29-year-old Antetokounmpo was listed as doubtful for Sunday's Game 1 on an injury report that came out Saturday. Antetokounmpo averaged 42.2 points and 13 rebounds against Indiana this season, including a franchise-record in the Bucks鈥� lone victory over the Pacers.
鈥淚 think the good part about it is it鈥檚 not something that鈥檚 unfamiliar,鈥� said Milwaukee鈥檚 Damian Lillard, who will play in Game 1 despite battling a and an Achilles tendon issue the final weekend of the regular season. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had our stretches of games where we鈥檝e been short-handed, and we kind of know what it鈥檚 going to look like for us out there.鈥�
Indeed, the Bucks had their top three players 鈥� Antetokounmpo, Lillard and Khris Middleton 鈥� all available for only five of their last 33 regular-season games. That helps explain why the Bucks went 17-19 under after going 32-14 before his arrival.
The Bucks have encountered similar situations in previous postseasons.
Antetokounmpo missed the final 1 1/2 games of a 2020 with a sprained ankle. He sat out the final two games of the 2021 Eastern Conference finals with a before returning to
Middleton missed the Bucks鈥� in 2022 with a sprained medial collateral ligament. Last year, a knocked Antetokounmpo out of and caused him to miss the next two games in the Bucks鈥� to Miami.
Indiana is in the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and attempting to advance beyond the first round for the first time since 2014. Even though the Pacers are seeded sixth and the Bucks third in the East, Indiana is a slight favorite,
鈥淚鈥檓 really thankful to be here,鈥� said Haliburton, who averaged a league-leading 10.9 assists per game this season. 鈥淯sually at this point, I鈥檓 getting my exit meetings and talking to you guys, a news conference to get ready for my vacation. So I鈥檓 just excited to be playing basketball. My plan is to keep playing for the next couple of months.鈥�
LONG TIME, NO SEE
The Bucks and Pacers last faced each other on Jan. 3. Both teams have changed quite a bit since.
Since their last matchup, Indiana two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam, traded Bruce Brown and and lost to a season-ending injury. coach Adrian Griffin, and acquired guard Pat Beverley.
鈥淲e鈥檙e kind of two new teams playing against each other,鈥� Middleton said.
HALIBURTON鈥橲 HOMECOMING
Haliburton is making his playoff debut close to home. Haliburton grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, about 90 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
鈥淯sually I鈥檓 getting like 80-90 tickets for this game, but that will not be happening for the playoffs,鈥� Haliburton said. 鈥淛ust my immediate family I鈥檒l be getting tickets for.鈥�
Haliburton averaged 27 points and 11 assists against Milwaukee in the regular season.
BEASLEY鈥橲 BIG TALK
When he was asked about Milwaukee鈥檚 1-4 record against Indiana during a January interview with Bucks guard Malik Beasley predicted they鈥檇 meet again in the playoffs and that 鈥渋t鈥檚 not going to be pretty鈥� for the Pacers.
Beasley isn鈥檛 backing down from those comments.
鈥淚 still stand by that,鈥� Beasley said. 鈥淜udos to them if things are different, but I don鈥檛 see that happening.鈥�
KEEPING PACE
Indiana scored a league-high 123.3 points per game this season, and it bothered the Bucks with its fast-paced offense. The Bucks have played better defense under Rivers, but it remains to be seen whether they鈥檙e better equipped to handle Indiana鈥檚 tempo.
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 transition defense, and there鈥檚 transition defense against the Indiana Pacers,鈥� Haliburton said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a little bit different.鈥�
The Bucks prepared for this series by having their scout team play as fast a pace as possible.
鈥淚f we score a bucket when we鈥檙e playing, they鈥檙e taking the ball out of the basket and not even inbounding,鈥� Bucks center Brook Lopez said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e just going. That鈥檚 not something we鈥檝e done before with a scout team in preparation for a playoff series.鈥�
BUDDING RIVALRY?
Haliburton mimicked Lillard鈥檚 鈥淒ame Time鈥� celebration by pointing to his wrist during Indiana鈥檚 In-Season Tournament win over the Bucks. Antetokounmpo鈥檚 64-point performance against the Pacers included a regarding the whereabouts of the game ball.
Those events provide plenty of interesting angles heading into this series.
鈥淥bviously the storyline still is popcorn-driven,鈥� Bucks forward Bobby Portis said. 鈥淵ou can smell it.鈥�
___
This story has been corrected to show that Tyrese Haliburton averaged 27 points and 11 assists against the Bucks in the regular season.
___
AP Sports Writer Michael Marot contributed to this report.
___
AP NBA:
Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
