The Bucks get Out-Paced: Story of the Series
The Milwaukee Bucks have been eliminated from the 2024 playoffs in a result that has shocked the league and raised several big questions going forward
I’m just gonna go ahead and say it. These playoffs are shaping up to be one for the books.
From the stars who have dazzled us for decades continuing to put on shows for us, to young lions taking centre stage and showcasing the future of the league in real time, this year’s playoffs have been nothing short of captivating. Which brings us to a series, and result, that I am still shocked went the way it did. In six games, the Indiana Pacers sent the Milwaukee Bucks into ‘vacation mode,’ which is the last thing I expected going into this series, and especially after the first game. Despite not having star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks beat the brakes off the Pacers, with the final deficit being a whooping 15 points. Led by an excellent 35 point per game performance by Damian Lillard, the Bucks would make easy work of the Pacers. In that moment I wrote this series off, which was a big mistake on my end. But could you blame me? The Pacers were a great team don’t get me wrong, but Bucks had just beat them handily without their star big man. Surely when he returned the deficits would be even more lopsided, right?
Well I was right in one sense…
In Game 2, the Pacers would respond by beating the Bucks by a 17 point margin. While the game was neck and neck for the majority of it, the Pacers’ efficiency would be too much for Milwaukee to rise above. To be fair to them though, it’s going to be difficult to beat any team that scores 55 percent of their shots, 44 percent from three, as well as committing less turnovers and getting more rebounds than their opponent. The star of stars of this game was Pascal Siakam, the former champion and Raptors player who would drop 37 points along with pulling down 11 rebounds and dishing out 6 assists. Once again the Bucks would be without Giannis, a status that would sadly remain the same for the rest of the series.
Game 3 would end in dramatic fashion, with the Pacers eventually winning in overtime by just 3 points. Despite a less than stellar game from Tyrese Haliburton, and a monster 42 point outing from Khris Middleton for the Bucks, Indiana would take a 2–1 lead that would become 3–1 in a dominant game 4 win. Credit to the Bucks for not going out in a ‘gentleman sweep’ with a win in the fifth game. But by this point, I would once again write this series off as being over. And this time I’d be right. Game 6 would be the swansong for Milwaukee, their season coming to an end with a 22 point loss. From the way this game went, the energy of Milwaukee seemed gone. And while I can’t speak on their mindset, it certainly seemed like they were itching to get out of there.
Luck is a fickle force. Sometimes everything seems to be going your way, and then out of nowhere a wrench gets thrown into the works. I have no doubt that the Bucks feel that if they were healthy they could have won this series. But hypothetical scenarios are just that: hypotheticals. There’s no point in dreaming of a what would happen ‘in a perfect world’ when we live in reality. Say what you want about ‘what could have been’ had the Bucks been healthy. Ultimately, their season came to an end much sooner than we thought it would. Next year could see them run it back. Or perhaps big changes will occur, if the rumours going around about Giannis potentially leaving have any validity to them. As far as the Pacers are concerned, the playoffs continue. Will they fall below, meet, or exceed expectations? We can only wait and see.
This series was one of extremes. Highs and lows. An illustration of what both teams are when firing on all cylinders, and when they can’t find a hope in hell. This series was what happened when a ‘best case scenario’ meets a ‘worst case scenario’ over and over.
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I’m back from being sick! Going to hopefully complete my first round coverage this week. Hope you’re all staying healthy as well.
