Siakam, Turner, Help Indiana Draw First Blood Against Milwaukee

By Leobert Julian A, de la Peña

The Indiana Pacers struck first and handed the Milwaukee Bucks a one-sided beating, 117-98, during Game 1 of their NBA Eastern Conference best-of-seven first-round playoff series duel on April 20, 2025.

Indiana’s frontcourt duo of Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner became Milwaukee’s major headache as the 1-2 punch covered the Pacers’ offensive and defensive ground to protect home-court advantage.

Steady, consistent, and well-rested, Siakam kicked off Indiana’s blazing start in the first 12 minutes as his efficient scoring around the perimeter steered the Pacers to an early 33-25 advantage.

The start of the series was reminiscent of last year’s first-round matchup, in which Indiana’s high-octane attack proved to be too much for the half-court-oriented Milwaukee squad.

Against an experienced Bucks team, the Pacers knew they had to clinch the early momentum to keep Milwaukee on the back foot, just like last year’s series.

Siakam then answered the call after hitting three consecutive perimeter jump shots, followed by a series of sweeping hooks from the right block that swelled Indiana’s lead to double digits midway through the first.

Giannis Antetokounmpo countered back that helped Milwaukee avoid a massive hole heading into the second frame, but Myles Turner spoiled their plans and backstopped Siakam with his tremendous two-way performance.

Turner ignited the thousands in attendance at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse with his pick-and-pop conversions from the three-point line while perfectly playing his role as the team’s last defensive backline.

The Bucks attempted to clog Indiana’s interior as they held a size advantage but Turner’s length and lateral quickness helped him recover from late double team helps.

With only a minute remaining in the second, Turner put the whole crowd on their feet after blocking Antetokounmpo’s free throw line layup attempt.

That play alone equipped the Pacers with oozing confidence in the third and ran over the Bucks despite Antetokounmpo’s relentless drives to the hole.

With nothing working for the former NBA champions, Milwaukee head coach Doc Rivers already waved the white flag in the last 5:27 of the fourth.

Siakam spearheaded the Indiana barrage as the versatile power forward top-scored the Pacers with 25 points built from an efficient 10/15 shooting from the field alongside seven rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block.

Meanwhile, Turner, his frontcourt partner, delivered 19 markers, five boards, two dimes, and a steal, but his total rejection tally summed up what Indiana’s defensive philosophy is all about in this series. He alone had four blocks and out-rejected the whole Milwaukee team that only had three.

Despite a quiet offensive outing for Tyrese Haliburton, the premier floor general stuffed the stat sheets and wrapped up Indiana’s Game 1 dub with 10 points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds.

On the other hand, Milwaukee received an All-Star performance from Antetokounmpo who finished with a game-high 36-point outing in 38 minutes of playing time.

However, Damian Lillard, who suffered a deep vein thrombosis a month ago, was still ruled out by the management. Rumors have it that he already was cleared from the blood clot and might suit up for the Bucks in the upcoming Game 2 showdown on April 23, 2025.

Will Indiana repeat its masterclass performance and increase their series lead to 2-0? Or will Antetokounmpo and the Bucks rally to equalize the series at 1-1?