The Milwaukee Bucks return home for Game 3 of their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers. This matchup takes place Friday night at Fiserv Forum, with tipoff set for 8:00 PM ET. Indiana leads the best-of-seven series 2-0 after winning both games in Indianapolis.
The Pacers took Game 2 by a score of 123-115. Milwaukee made a late push in the fourth quarter but couldn’t close the gap. Both teams are now 3-3 against each other across the regular season and playoffs, and Milwaukee looks to break the tie with their first win in this series.
Bucks Preview – Giannis Needs More Help at Home
The Bucks went 48-34 in the regular season and finished 5th in the East. They were 27-14 at home, but they now need a win to avoid falling behind 3-0. Milwaukee is led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 34 points, 18 rebounds, and 7 assists in Game 2.
Bobby Portis has provided a scoring lift off the bench, putting up 28 points and 12 rebounds last game. Damian Lillard returned to the court after missing 15 games. He had 14 points and 7 assists in 37 minutes but looked rusty and tired late.
Milwaukee shot 50.6% from the field and 40% from three but still gave up 123 points. They have been hurt by defense, especially stopping drives. Doc Rivers pointed to poor ball containment as a reason the team struggled. The Bucks also need more from their bench guards, with Gary Trent Jr. and AJ Green combining to go 1-for-4 from deep.
Pacers Preview – Strong Start, Balanced Scoring
Indiana went 50-32 in the regular season and entered the playoffs as the 4th seed in the East. They have now won three straight against the Bucks and six of the last eight playoff matchups dating back to last year. Game 2 showed how deep the team can go with balanced scoring.
Pascal Siakam led the way with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton had 21 points and 12 assists, running the offense and making plays late. Four other Pacers scored in double figures, including Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith.
Indiana ranks top 5 in assists and shooting percentage. They scored 117.4 points per game during the regular season. The team had a strong showing on the road this year too, with a 20-20 record away from home. They’ve also covered four of the last six spreads against Milwaukee.
Betting Prediction
The Bucks are slight favorites heading into Game 3, mainly because of their home court. But the Pacers have shown they can score and win in different ways. Indiana’s offense has looked sharp while Milwaukee’s defense has had issues containing drives and defending threes.
Milwaukee needs Lillard to look more like himself, and for the defense to take a step forward. Indiana’s consistency, ball movement, and clutch play give them an edge. Predicted score is Indiana 118, Milwaukee 112.
Pick: Indiana Pacers +2.5 over Milwaukee Bucks
Going to take the Pacers to take down the Bucks and go ahead 3-0 in this series. Enjoy the game and best of luck with all your NBA playoff betting!
