The rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks will add another feather to its cap with this Eastern Conference first-round battle.
Damian Lillard’s absence will be a big loss for at least the start of the series, so Giannis Antetokounmpo will need to don both his Batman and Robin capes.
Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, meanwhile, will look to lead the Pacers a step further than their conference finals appearance a year ago.
It was a mediocre first half of the season for Haliburton, but once he clicked into gear, Indiana has taken off. There were several injuries early on that also hurt the Pacers’ depth, and a return to health for the likes of Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard has been huge.
For Milwaukee, Bobby Portis Jr.’s return from a 25-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy is a much-needed boost to its own depth.
Below are the dates, times, TV networks and more to catch every minute of what should be a captivating series:
How To Watch Pacers Vs. Bucks
- Game 1: Saturday, April 19 @ 1:00 p.m. EST. Watch on ESPN.
- Game 2: Tuesday, April 22 @ 7:00 p.m. EST. Watch on NBA TV.
- Game 3: Friday, April 25 @ 8:00 p.m. EST. Watch on ESPNU/NBA TV Simulcast.
- Game 4: Sunday, April. 27 @ 9:30 p.m. ET. Watch on TNT.
- Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday, April 29. Time and TV Network TBD.
- Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, May 2. Time and TV Network TBD.
- Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, May 4. Time and TV Network TBD.
Series Format/Bracket
Each series follows a 2-2-1-1-1 format. This means the team with home-court advantage hosts the first two games along with Game 5 and Game 7 (if necessary). The weaker seed will host Games 3, 4 and 6 (if necessary).
The winner of Pacers-Bucks will face the winner of the series between the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and whichever team wins Friday’s Play-In Tournament game between the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat for the No. 8 seed.
Pacers Vs. Bucks Season Series
Milwaukee took the season series, 3-1. Indiana’s lone victory came on a miraculous four-point play from Haliburton with 3.4 seconds remaining.
- Nov. 22: Bucks win, 129-117, in Milwaukee.
- Dec. 31: Bucks win, 120-112, in Indiana.
- March 11: Pacers win, 115-114, in Indiana.
- March 15: Bucks win, 126-119, in Milwaukee.
