Blame for the 48-34 Milwaukee Bucks' brutal 117-98 defeat to the 50-32 Indiana Pacers, during the first game of their ongoing first round playoff series, can be pinned to many elements. The biggest cause is probably the absence of nine-time All-Star Bucks point guard Damian Lillard,

The Pacers, who made the Eastern Conference finals a season ago, are led by Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. Siakam (20.2 points per game) was an All-Star in 2025, while Haliburton got better as the season progressed. He averaged 20.6 points and 11 assists per game after the All-Star break.