The Milwaukee Bucks could not hold the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday Night. Pascal Siakam stunned Fiserv Forum by dropping a playoff career-high 37 points against the Bucks, helping his team seize a 125-108 win. With the Bucks’ centerpiece, Giannis Antetokounmpo, sidelined in the playoffs, the series could soon be over for Milwaukee as the Pacers head home with a tied series. Alongside other pundits and experts, TNT’s Inside the NBA crew members Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley also did not look optimistic about the Bucks winning this series.
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Shaq seemed to believe that since Indiana would play the next few games at home, their fast pace of play could be the biggest detriment for the Bucks without Giannis Antetokounmpo on the team. Shaq said,
“And we all know they play different at home than they are on the road. They’re going to play with a much faster pace. And when the three-ball is falling and when Siakam is playing like that, they don’t have a chance.”
On the other hand, Charles Barkley doesn’t believe in the Bucks’ chances of beating the Pacers even with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Highlighting the Bucks’ record against the Pacers this season, Barkley said,
“They [Indiana Pacers] beat’em [Milwaukee Bucks] four out of five with Giannis. And the only game they lost, Giannis scored 64. Without Giannis, I don’t think they got any chance of beating those guys.”
The Pacers’ unusual dominance against the Bucks this season has been a predominant narrative throughout the year. Indiana’s road game win in Milwaukee has once again brought up the narrative. And it’s pretty clear that Shaq and Chuck has also bought into it.
Milwaukee has been left shorthanded in the front court in this series with the huge absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak has missed the last two games of the NBA regular season and the two postseason games due to a calf injury. Though Giannis’ status for the remainder of the first round matchup remains uncertain, his extended absence could be detrimental for the Bucks’ hopes for title contention.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s extended absence makes the Bucks’ title contention hopes precarious
Giannis Antetokounmpo missed his fifth straight game after sitting out for Game 2 of the Bucks’ opening-round matchup against the Indiana Pacers. On April 9, Antetokounmpo was seen struggling in the third quarter in the game against the Boston Celtics. Though the game resulted in an eventual victory for Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo had to head to the locker room during the game. An MRI scan later revealed the star player has picked a muscle strain injury.
This isn’t the first time Giannis is dealing with injuries in the postseason. Last year, Antetokounmpo missed Game 3 and 4 of their matchup against the Miami Heat, which resulted in a first-round exit for the Bucks.
