The Indiana Pacers survived a late surge from the Milwaukee Bucks to claim a 123-115 victory on Tuesday night, taking a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series, MySportDab Reports.
Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 34-point, 18-rebound performance and Damian Lillard’s return, Indiana held on in a tense finish.
Pascal Siakam paced the Pacers with 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points and 12 assists. Indiana led by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter, only to see their advantage reduced to two after a 13-0 Bucks run.
However, Siakam’s timely three-pointer, followed by another from Andrew Nembhard, helped seal the wire-to-wire win. Nembhard finished with 17 points, as six Pacers scored in double digits.
Lillard, playing his first game in over a month following treatment for a blood clot, had 14 points and seven assists in 37 minutes. The game featured several heated moments, including first-quarter technicals for Gary Trent Jr. and Bennedict Mathurin, and late-game tensions between Siakam and Bobby Portis.
Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the Memphis Grizzlies once again with a 118-99 victory in Game 2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 27 points, supported by Jalen Williams (24 points) and Chet Holmgren (20 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks).
The Thunder came out hot, opening the game with a 9-0 run and burying 12 of their 15 first-half three-point attempts. Oklahoma City also dominated fast-break points (21-3) and points in the paint (54-46). Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant combined for 49 points, but the Grizzlies never got within 15 in the final quarter.
Out west in Los Angeles, the Lakers leveled their series with the Minnesota Timberwolves at 1-1 thanks to a 94-85 win. Luka Dončić starred with 31 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists, while LeBron James chipped in 21 points and 11 rebounds. Julius Randle (27) and Anthony Edwards (25) led the Timberwolves, who struggled to find rhythm in a physical contest marred by 46 fouls and multiple video reviews.
