Taking into account the game-ball commotion that happened between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers during the regular season, it was bound to be an interesting playoff series. As expected, the aftermath of Game 1 did not disappoint. The Bucks took home a 109-94 win on Sunday due to a monster first half from Damian Lillard. Lillard's 35 points all came in the first two quarters, much to the dismay of his matchup, Tyrese Haliburton. This resulted in Milwaukee fans throwing jabs at the Pacers guard, who finished the game with nine points.
Many fans referenced Haliburton's passiveness. The 24-year-old only attempted seven shots and was looking to pass for most of the game. While his eight assists and seven rebounds can be commendable, Haliburton is the Pacers' number-one option and is expected to put up plenty of points, especially in the playoffs.
Other users just wanted to join in on the trolling.
One fan even questioned Halibutron's inclusion in Team USA for the upcoming Paris Olympics.
The Bucks strike first
While the Pacers guard still has plenty of chances to bounce back in the following games, Sunday belongs to Damian Lillard and the Bucks, who managed to start their playoff run strong despite not having superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Milwaukee forward is still recovering from a calf injury sustained back on April 9. In his absence, Doc Rivers decided to field in Bobby Portis, who stepped up with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Khris Middleton also contributed heavily with 23 points and 10 boards to support what was a hot-shooting night from Lillard. Right off the bat, Dame Dolla started strong. Sinking three of his six triples in the first quarter, the Bucks guard already had 19 points as the first 12 minutes came to a close.
In the following quarter, it was the same story. Lillard continued his outburst, as the Bucks managed to swell the lead to 30 at one point. The Wisconsin-based squad outscored their opponents 39-21 in the second to take a large halftime lead.
Lillard surprisingly went scoreless in the second half, but it would make no difference. The other players picked up the pace, with Middleton leading the way. Indiana trimmed the lead down to 12 at the end of the third, but Milwaukee would not falter, as balanced scoring in the fourth period resulted in the Bucks win.
As sweet as Sunday's victory may be, it's only Game 1, and the Bucks have to continue playing at this pace if they want to bring home the series. After all, the young Pacers team is still one to never underestimate. Looking at the recent matchups, Indiana is 4-1 against Milwaukee this season. In all those games. Tyrese Haliburton scored no less than 22 points each, with his highest output being a 31-point showing back in January.
The upcoming games are expected to be slugfests with plenty of fan enthusiasm on both sides.
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