MILWAUKEE — Following a 109-94 Game 1 loss to the Bucks on Sunday night in Milwaukee, Pacers center Myles Turner said he thought his team "got jumped into the playoffs." On Tuesday, they jumped back into the series.
The Blue & Gold put together a complete performance for 48 minutes in Game 2, looking like a completely different team than the won that withered while falling into a 30-point deficit in the first half of Game 1.
They weathered another early onslaught from Damian Lillard, this time not allowing the eight-time All-Star's brilliance to blow open the game. They maintained their poise and composure, found some competitive fire, and knocked down shots. And when they had an opportunity to close the game out, they did so in emphatic fashion.
The final box score from Indiana's 125-108 win on Tuesday night at Fiserv Forum looks much more in line with the team that had one of the best offenses in NBA history in the regular season. The Pacers shot 55.6 percent from the field, went 16-for-36 (44.4 percent) from 3-point range, scored 52 points in the paint, and dished out 38 assists while only committing six turnovers.
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A lot changed from Game 1 to Game 2 for the Pacers, but the one constant across both games was the play of Pascal Siakam. The 30-year-old forward was a lone bright spot on Sunday, when he tallied 36 points on 15-of-25 shooting and 13 rebounds. He was somehow even more sensational on Tuesday, scoring 37 points in as many minutes on 16-of-23 shooting to go along with 11 boards and six assists.
Seemingly whenever the Pacers needed a bucket, there was Siakam, weaving his way to the rim or swishing a mid-range jumper.
"Pascal is a guy that naturally has a personality and presence that’s poised," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. "He just doesn’t get rattled. He plays the game at his pace...He’s a unique player. His experience shows and he had a lot of big plays for us tonight."
The Pacers acquired Siakam — a two-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection over seven seasons in Toronto — precisely for moments like this. But he has exceeded the lofty expectations placed upon his shoulders over his first two playoff games with the Blue & Gold.
Siakam's 36 points on Sunday were more than he had scored in any of his previous 53 playoff games with the Raptors. And then he one-upped himself on Tuesday by dropping 37.
Siakam currently has the two highest-scoring games of any player in this year's playoffs.
He is just the second Pacer in NBA franchise history to score 35 or more points in consecutive playoff games. The other? Reggie Miller.
He is the first player to tally 35 or more points and 10 or more rebounds on 60 percent or better shooting in the first two games of a playoff series since Shaquille O'Neal in the first two games of the 2000 NBA Finals, according to ESPN's Matt Williams.
And per OptaSTATS, he is the first player to have consecutive 35-point, 10-rebound performances to open the playoffs since Wilt Chamberlain in 1967.
Reggie. Shaq. Wilt. Elite company.
But don't expect Siakam to carry himself with the same bravado as those three Hall of Famers. He spoke in a soft tone in his postgame press conference and offered the simplest explanation for his offensive prowess.
“Just taking what’s out there," he said. "I don’t feel like I’m trying anything or going through anything, just playing in the flow of the offense and not thinking about anything."
“My game is always flow, it’s just seeing what’s out there and just reacting," Siakam responded when asked about finding success in the mid-range. "If it’s there, that’s what I’m going to do and I’m going to live with the results."
Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability at Milwaukee Bucks (Game 2) | April 23, 2024
Not only has Siakam has led the way on the floor, but he's also emerged as a leader off of it in just three months with the Pacers.
It's been a bit of an adjustment for Siakam, who wasn't the most vocal player in Toronto, leaving that up to other guys and preferring to lead by example. But with the Pacers having a younger roster with less playoff experience, Siakam found that many of his new teammates were looking to him to be more vocal.
It's something he's slowly started to embrace. After Game 1, he was quick to remind his teammates that as poorly as they played, it just counted as one game in a four-game series.
"I think his experience in the playoffs is so valuable," Carlisle said. "He’s not a guy who is going to get rattled by anything. Never has once since January, since we got him. He’s a guy that people confide in, look up to. He’s an important part of what we’re doing."
"I think since he’s got here he has been a great voice in the locker room," second-year guard Andrew Nembhard said. "I think he really understands it and has a calm, cool demeanor about him that lets everyone else be calm."
The Pacers seemed to collectively adopt Siakam's unflappable nature on Tuesday. No matter what the Bucks threw at them, they kept their composure.
Lillard — who scored 35 points in the first half on Sunday — started Game 2 hot, scoring 10 of the Bucks' first 19 points, while Brook Lopez added three early 3-pointers to propel Milwaukee out to an early lead.
Instead of wilting, the Pacers quickly responded with a 13-2 run to move in front.
The Blue & Gold took a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter, but saw it almost immediately whittled down to four following a flagrant foul on Obi Toppin.
Indiana outscored Milwaukee 23-4 over the next five minutes.
Siakam scored six points and dished out two assists in that sequence, including a dish to Turner for a three that pushed the lead to 112-92 with 6:22 to play and forced a timeout from Milwaukee head coach Doc Rivers.
The Bucks fans started filing out of the arena en masse at that point. Those who elected to stay were treated to Turner blocking Lillard and then Tyrese Haliburton swishing a wide-open three on the next two possessions. By the time the buzzer sounded, only a few thousand of the 17,683 were in the building.
"I felt like every time they made a run, we were just there," Siakam said. "I felt like the composure was there. I could see it in the eyes of the guys, just guys not panicking or guys being confident in the fact that if we executed the right way, we’ve got a chance."
That confidence was evident up and down the Pacers' lineup on Tuesday.
After starting Game 1 by missing their first 13 3-pointers, the Blue & Gold made 10 threes in the first half of Game 2 and finished the night with 16.
Turner had one of the best all-around games of his career, with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting (3-of-6 from 3-point range), seven rebounds, six assists, and three blocks.
Haliburton navigated the Bucks' keying in on slowing him down defensively, as the Pacers' All-Star point guard made the right read seemingly every time, dishing out 12 assists to only two turnovers.
Aaron Nesmith knocked down three threes, dished out seven assists, and played lock-down defense on Bucks All-Star forward Khris Middleton, limiting him to 15 points on 14 shots.
But aside from Siakam, perhaps no player was more impressive than Nembhard. The 6-5 guard has had the unenviable task of chasing Lillard, but Nembhard made Lillard work on the other end on Tuesday, attacking the basket and scoring 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
Nembhard normally carries himself with a calm demeanor reminiscent of Siakam, but he showed a little more fire in Game 2. At one point early in the third quarter, he drove and drew a foul on Bucks guard Patrick Beverley. Beverley fell to the ground, while Nembhard stood over him jawing. Bucks enforcer Bobby Portis got in Nembhard's face and started clapping, but the Pacers' young guard was undeterred, clapping back at Portis.
Nembhard received a technical in the moment, but it was indicative of him raising his intensity level in a competitive playoff environment.
"I love competing at the highest level," Nembhard said. "I’ve always loved competing. This is the epitome of competition. It’s fun out there."
The way that Nembhard carried himself certainly left an impression on his veteran teammates.
"Drew never really got rattled," Turner said. "Even if Dame hit some hellacious shots, which he did these first two games. Even when Dame kind of started barking at him, I don’t think he really backed down. That shows a lot in this playoff atmosphere.
"To have an addition like that, someone who shows no fear on both ends of the floor, that’s what you need. I’m proud of his development. He’s going to be a big x-factor for us.”
By staying calm while also finding their competitive fire, the Pacers were able to even the series at 1-1. There's a long ways to go still and the Bucks will likely get a major reinforcement at some point in the series when two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is cleared to return from a calf injury. But for now, the Pacers return to Indianapolis having taken homecourt advantage.
Game 3 is on Friday. It will be the first time that Gainbridge Fieldhouse hosts a playoff game since 2019, and the Pacers are expecting a rowdy environment.
"I’ve been waiting a long time to give the home fans what they reserve," Turner said.
“I’m expecting it to be unbelievable," Haliburton added. "No doubt about that. We’ve had regular season crowds better than what we’ve played in these last two games. We expect a great crowd. A lot of people are excited about what’s to come in the series."
As he wrapped up his media availability in the locker room on Tuesday night, Turner was asked if he had any message for Pacers fans.
"Can I cuss?" he asked.
"Scream y’alls (expletive) heads off. We need y’all. We need y’all. I’m excited to be back in Gainbridge. I’m excited just to be back in that sea of gold and that environment. Just bring it."