Damian Lillard played a phenomenal game in the win of his Milwaukee Bucks against the Indiana Pacers at home by 109:94.
It was an unexpectedly strong start to the NBA playoffs series for the Milwaukee Bucks. Many believed that without Giannis Antetokounmpo due to injury, the job would be much harder, and even betting sites listed the Indiana Pacers as favorites in the early games. However, on the court, there was only one dominant team.
Right from the start, it was clear who would pose the biggest problem for the Indiana Pacers. Even in the pre-game discussions, it was emphasized that in the absence of the Greek player, Damian Lillard must take charge. And so he did, scoring 19 points in the first quarter and a whopping 35 in the first half alone. This gave the Bucks a commanding 27-point lead after 48 minutes of play.
The guests tried to stage a comeback in the third quarter, almost halving the deficit, but that was all they managed to do in this game. Apart from Pascal Siakam, no other player was in good form, and the Milwaukee Bucks calmly closed out the game in the fourth quarter, taking the lead in the series after the first game.
Lillard led the winning team with 35 points. He received significant support from Khris Middleton, who scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Bobby Portis, who contributed 15 points and 11 rebounds. On the other side, Siakam scored 36 points with 13 rebounds, while Myles Turner added 17 points. Tyrese Haliburton only managed nine points, shooting two of nine from the field.
The next game is scheduled for the night between Tuesday and Wednesday at 2:30 AM.