Thursday, May 2 at 6:30 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Game Preview
The Pacers have chance to close out their first-round series with the Milwaukee Bucks at home. The best-of-seven series shifts back to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday for Game 6 with the Pacers holding a 3-2 lead. If the Blue & Gold can protect their home court and come away with a victory, they will advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Bucks staved off elimination in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Milwaukee despite being without All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo (who has not played in the series due to a left soleus strain) and Damian Lillard (who has missed the past two games with Achilles tendinitis). The Bucks outscored Indiana 64-36 over the second and third quarters on their way to a 115-92 victory.
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Milwaukee looked like the more desperate team, winning the majority of loose balls while also dictating the pace of the game, slowing down the Pacers' up-tempo offensive attack.
It was a lesson for a young Pacers team that has limited playoff experience about how difficult it is to close out a series.
"We’ve just got to understand that they’re a team that’s on the brink of their season being done," Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton said. "They’re playing desperate, they’re playing hard, as they should be. At the end of the day, they out-competed us tonight. They played harder, they played better."
The good news for the Blue & Gold is they are returning home to the building where they swept a pair of games over the weekend. Indiana won in dramatic fashion in a 121-118 overtime victory in Game 3 on Friday before rolling to a 126-113 victory in Game 4 on Sunday. Gainbridge Fieldhouse was sold out for both games and players raved about the fan support and noise level.
"These were the first two (playoff) games I've played in this building and (it was) incredibly, incredibly loud," Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said. "They've been incredibly important to what having a home court (advantage) is like in the playoffs. They have really willed us to win these games."
The biggest question mark for Game 6 is if either or both of Antetokounmpo will return. Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said before Game 5 that Lillard did no basketball activities on Tuesday while Antetokounmpo only did light shooting, but in his postgame press conference he left the door open for both to return, saying "I think they're very, very, very close."
Both players were listed as doubtful for Game 6 in the Bucks' initial injury report released Wednesday evening, but Lillard was upgraded to questionable on Thursday morning.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G - Tyrese Haliburton, G - Andrew Nembhard, F - Aaron Nesmith, F - Pascal Siakam, C - Myles Turner
Bucks: G - Patrick Beverley, G - Malik Beasley, F - Khris Middleton, F - Bobby Portis, C - Brook Lopez
Injury Report
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton - questionable (lower back spasms), Bennedict Mathurin - out (right shoulder labral tear)
Bucks: Patrick Beverley - probable (right oblique muscle strain), Khris Middleton - probable (right ankle sprain), Damian Lillard - questionable (right Achilles tendinitis), Giannis Antetokounmpo - doubtful (left soleus strain)
Last Meeting
April 30, 2024: The Bucks staved off elimination with a 115-92 win on their home court.
Indiana led by as many as 10 in the opening quarter, but Milwaukee outscored the Pacers 64-36 over the second and third quarters to seize control.
Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists in the win. After being ejected in the opening minutes of Game 4, Bobby Portis had a bounce-back game, tallying 29 points on 14-of-24 shooting and 10 rebounds. Patrick Beverley (13 points and 12 assists) also had a double-double for Milwaukee.
Tyrese Haliburton led Indiana with 16 points and six assists in the loss, going 4-for-10 from 3-point range. Myles Turner added 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting and five rebounds, while Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Obi Toppin each scored 12 points.
After going 7-for-13 from 3-point range in the first quarter, the Pacers were just 5-for-25 from beyond the arc over the final three quarters. Milwaukee shot 52.4 percent from the field in the win and scored 23 points off of 13 Indiana turnovers.
Noteworthy
- Game 6 will be a "Gold Out" at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, with all fans in attendance receiving a gold t-shirt.
- With a win on Tuesday, the Pacers would improve to 3-0 in playoff series against the Bucks. Indiana previously beat Milwaukee in the first round in 1999 and 2000.
- The last time the Pacers won a playoff series was in 2014, when they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals by defeating Atlanta in the first round and Washington in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
- There will be a Pregame Party on Bicentennial Unity Plaza on Thursday from 4:00 - 6:00 PM. Activations will include a DJ, face painting, caricature and balloon artists, basketball, and concessions. Fans must have ticket to Game 6 for entry to the Pregame Party.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
TV: TNT - Spero Dedes (play-by-play), Greg Anthony (analyst), Stephanie Ready (sideline reporter)
Bally Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Tickets
The Pacers will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host the Bucks for Game 6 on Thursday, May 2 at 6:30 PM ET. Find Tickets >>