Pascal Siakam sizzles as Pacers trample Bucks in series opener

Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton made it count as the Indiana Pacers rode a first-half barrage to take a big win over the Milwaukee Bucks, 117-98, at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday (Sunday, Manila time) to take the 1-0 lead in their Eastern Conference Playoff matchup.

 

Siakam had 25 points and seven boards while Haliburton added 10 points and 12 assists to give fans a treat in Indy’s first series opener since 2014.

 

In the first two quarters, the Pacers outscored their foes by a whopping 24 points to seize control of the ball game, where they led by as much as 28 points and hardly spent any time trailing.

 

Second chance points and transition baskets were the bread and butter for the home team as they outperformed the Bucks in both fields by a mile. In fast break points, Indiana scored 22 against Milwaukee’s five.

 

The big win came despite Giannis Antetokounmpo’s game-high 36 markers.

 

Gary Trent Jr. was the second leading scorer for the Bucks who saw no contributions from forward Kyle Kuzma who was unable to record any stat — save for two personal fouls — in more than 21 minutes of action.

 

Meanwhile, four other Pacers players finished in double digit scoring along with Siakam and Haliburton.

 

Myles Turner had 19 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and four blocks in a defensive showcase for Indiana.

 

Defense played a key role in the victory as Milwaukee only had one basket in the final 5:24 of the ballgame.