INDIANAPOLIS – Pacers coach Rick Carlisle told his team starting the playoffs at home means their mindset has to be different than it was a year ago because homecourt advantage in a best-of-seven series is a fragile, easily stolen thing.
The Pacers, after all, managed to win two playoff series last season even though they didn’t have homecourt advantage in either series and went a combined 2-5 on the road against the Bucks in the first round and the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. They were clobbered in Game 1 and Game 5 by the Bucks in Milwaukee, but won Game 2 and didn’t lose at home and that was enough for them to advance. They lost Games 1, 2 and 5 to the Knicks, falling by 30 points in Game 5, but shocked Madison Square Garden with a 130-109 win in Game 7.
So now that the script is flipped for the No. 4 seed Pacers’ first-round Eastern Conference playoff series against the No. 5 seed Bucks — which begins 1 p.m. Saturday on ESPN at Gainbridge Fieldhouse — they know they have to be locked in for Game 1 and 2 because one loss in those games means surrendering the advantage that took them 50 regular season wins to earn.
“You just gotta have your guard up,” Carlisle said. “It’s a protect-your-turf mentality. It’s unending. We’ve gotta get that edge this week headed into Saturday.”
Regardless of Carlisle’s message, however, the Pacers already seem to have a sense going into these playoffs they have something to defend and a different kind of opportunity. Part of what made the Pacers so dangerous in last year’s playoffs was they hadn’t been there before and they didn’t know what they didn’t know, and also because they were still able to surprise people after failing to reach the playoffs in the previous three seasons. Several of their key players — including point guard Tyrese Haliburton — had never been to the playoffs before. Others had been there but never had important roles for the teams they were on, and they simply hadn’t been there together as a group.
But this year they come in with experience and also with an understanding they aren’t going to be sneaking up on anybody this time. They are now an established member of the NBA’s playoff class. They carry the burden of having to prove last year’s Eastern Conference finals run wasn’t a fluke and also of knowing they could be entering their championship window and their timeframe to pursue a title isn’t infinite.
“I think even last year we were just satisfied with being in the playoffs,” Haliburton said. “Everything from there was kinda playing with house money to be honest with you. This year I think we have real expectations to do something special as a group and when I say something special, I mean a championship. That’s definitely an expectation we’ve had since the start of the year. That doesn’t change.”
The Pacers enter the postseason tied for the sixth best record in the NBA at 50-32, matching the Lakers and Nuggets. And since their 10-15 start to the season, they’re 40-17. That’s the fourth-best record in the NBA since Dec. 9 behind only the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City and No. 1 seed Cleveland and No. 2 seed Boston in the Eastern Conference. That means the Pacers are by no means the favorites to claim a title, but they’re not so much of an underdog as to be beyond the realm of imagination.
Their playoff road will be tougher this season than last simply because the Cavaliers and Celtics are 60-win teams. Last year, the eventual NBA champion Celtics were the only 60-win team in the East and the Pacers avoided them until the Eastern Conference finals. This year, they’d likely face the Cavaliers, who went 64-18, in the conference semifinals if they get past the Bucks. Last year, the Knicks team they faced in the semis was 50-32.
Still, the Pacers may be better equipped to take down teams at that caliber because they’re a dramatically better defensive team. Last year, the Pacers led the NBA in scoring — posting the highest scoring average in the NBA in 40 years — but finished 27th in the NBA in scoring defense and 24th in defensive rating. This year’s team finished 14th in defensive rating and since Dec. 9, they were seventh in the category.
“Since January we’ve been an elite defensive team,” Haliburton said. “We understood coming into this year that we would have to be better there if we really wanted to accomplish our goals. So I think we’ve done a good job of locking into that end of the floor. The buy-in from top to bottom has been great. I think more so than anything, the accountability from us has been great.”
That said, they have to face a Bucks team that is also arguably better equipped for a playoff run than they were last year.
They will be without seven-time All-NBA guard Damian Lillard, who has been out since March 20 with deep vein thrombosis — the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel — in his right calf. The Bucks put out a press release Tuesday saying Lillard’s condition is improving but he will miss the start of the playoffs. However, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will be available to start the playoffs after missing all of last year’s series with the Pacers.
His presence obviously changes the dynamic dramatically. He won’t win a third MVP award this year with Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver’s Nikola Jokic putting on a historic battle, but there’s a good chance Antetokounmpo will finish third in the balloting and first among Eastern Conference players. He’s a shoo-in to be named first-team All-NBA for a seventh straight season as he’s averaging 30.4 points per game on 60.1% shooting, 11.9 rebounds per game and 6.5 assists per game.
“He can do everything,” said Pacers All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, who will likely draw Antetokounmpo as a defensive assignment. “He’s attacking with force. That (mid-range) shot also makes him more dangerous. He’s the head of a snake but their whole team is playing unbelievable basketball.”
The Bucks initially struggled in Lillard’s absence, losing four straight games at one point, but since that skid they’ve won eight straight and haven’t lost in April. Antetokounmpo is averaging a triple-double in that stretch — 31.8 points, 12.0 rebounds and 11.8 assists per game — but eight other players are averaging double-digit scoring. Kevin Porter Jr., who was acquired from the Clippers at the deadline has stepped up in Lillard’s absence at point guard. Forward Bobby Portis has returned after a 25-game suspension for taking an unauthorized painkiller drug, and wings Kyle Kuzma and Gary Trent Jr. have shot the ball exceptionally well from beyond the arc.
The Bucks finished fourth in the NBA in field goal percentage this season and first in 3-point field goal percentage, knocking down 38.7% of their 3s.
“Improved perimeter shooting,” Pacers center Myles Turner said when asked what has changed about the Bucks. “That’s one thing. They have guys who compete, guys who they got on the trade block that have really been helping them. And obviously having Giannis back for the playoffs is huge as opposed to not having him last year. It’s a same team but it’s a different team, so it has to be about us and our habits. Our approach and principles can’t change.”
And their approach has to include winning their first two games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“The biggest difference between last year and this year is playing Game 1 at home,” Haliburton said. “I think last year in Game 1 we got stomped. It felt like we kinda eased in to Game 1 and then woke up in Game 2 and responded. We don’t have that luxury at home. You gotta take care of homecourt because at the end of the day, if nobody wins a road game, you win the series. I think what’s most important is taking care of Game 1.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: NBA playoffs: Pacers looking for strong start with homecourt vs Bucks
INDIANAPOLIS – Pacers coach Rick Carlisle told his team starting the playoffs at home means their mindset has to be different than it was a year ago because homecourt advantage in a best-of-seven series is a fragile, easily stolen thing.
The Pacers, after all, managed to win two playoff series last season even though they didn’t have homecourt advantage in either series and went a combined 2-5 on the road against the Bucks in the first round and the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. They were clobbered in Game 1 and Game 5 by the Bucks in Milwaukee, but won Game 2 and didn’t lose at home and that was enough for them to advance. They lost Games 1, 2 and 5 to the Knicks, falling by 30 points in Game 5, but shocked Madison Square Garden with a 130-109 win in Game 7.
So now that the script is flipped for the No. 4 seed Pacers’ first-round Eastern Conference playoff series against the No. 5 seed Bucks — which begins 1 p.m. Saturday on ESPN at Gainbridge Fieldhouse — they know they have to be locked in for Game 1 and 2 because one loss in those games means surrendering the advantage that took them 50 regular season wins to earn.
“You just gotta have your guard up,” Carlisle said. “It’s a protect-your-turf mentality. It’s unending. We’ve gotta get that edge this week headed into Saturday.”
Regardless of Carlisle’s message, however, the Pacers already seem to have a sense going into these playoffs they have something to defend and a different kind of opportunity. Part of what made the Pacers so dangerous in last year’s playoffs was they hadn’t been there before and they didn’t know what they didn’t know, and also because they were still able to surprise people after failing to reach the playoffs in the previous three seasons. Several of their key players — including point guard Tyrese Haliburton — had never been to the playoffs before. Others had been there but never had important roles for the teams they were on, and they simply hadn’t been there together as a group.
But this year they come in with experience and also with an understanding they aren’t going to be sneaking up on anybody this time. They are now an established member of the NBA’s playoff class. They carry the burden of having to prove last year’s Eastern Conference finals run wasn’t a fluke and also of knowing they could be entering their championship window and their timeframe to pursue a title isn’t infinite.
“I think even last year we were just satisfied with being in the playoffs,” Haliburton said. “Everything from there was kinda playing with house money to be honest with you. This year I think we have real expectations to do something special as a group and when I say something special, I mean a championship. That’s definitely an expectation we’ve had since the start of the year. That doesn’t change.”
The Pacers enter the postseason tied for the sixth best record in the NBA at 50-32, matching the Lakers and Nuggets. And since their 10-15 start to the season, they’re 40-17. That’s the fourth-best record in the NBA since Dec. 9 behind only the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City and No. 1 seed Cleveland and No. 2 seed Boston in the Eastern Conference. That means the Pacers are by no means the favorites to claim a title, but they’re not so much of an underdog as to be beyond the realm of imagination.
Their playoff road will be tougher this season than last simply because the Cavaliers and Celtics are 60-win teams. Last year, the eventual NBA champion Celtics were the only 60-win team in the East and the Pacers avoided them until the Eastern Conference finals. This year, they’d likely face the Cavaliers, who went 64-18, in the conference semifinals if they get past the Bucks. Last year, the Knicks team they faced in the semis was 50-32.
Still, the Pacers may be better equipped to take down teams at that caliber because they’re a dramatically better defensive team. Last year, the Pacers led the NBA in scoring — posting the highest scoring average in the NBA in 40 years — but finished 27th in the NBA in scoring defense and 24th in defensive rating. This year’s team finished 14th in defensive rating and since Dec. 9, they were seventh in the category.
“Since January we’ve been an elite defensive team,” Haliburton said. “We understood coming into this year that we would have to be better there if we really wanted to accomplish our goals. So I think we’ve done a good job of locking into that end of the floor. The buy-in from top to bottom has been great. I think more so than anything, the accountability from us has been great.”
That said, they have to face a Bucks team that is also arguably better equipped for a playoff run than they were last year.
They will be without seven-time All-NBA guard Damian Lillard, who has been out since March 20 with deep vein thrombosis — the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel — in his right calf. The Bucks put out a press release Tuesday saying Lillard’s condition is improving but he will miss the start of the playoffs. However, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will be available to start the playoffs after missing all of last year’s series with the Pacers.
His presence obviously changes the dynamic dramatically. He won’t win a third MVP award this year with Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver’s Nikola Jokic putting on a historic battle, but there’s a good chance Antetokounmpo will finish third in the balloting and first among Eastern Conference players. He’s a shoo-in to be named first-team All-NBA for a seventh straight season as he’s averaging 30.4 points per game on 60.1% shooting, 11.9 rebounds per game and 6.5 assists per game.
“He can do everything,” said Pacers All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, who will likely draw Antetokounmpo as a defensive assignment. “He’s attacking with force. That (mid-range) shot also makes him more dangerous. He’s the head of a snake but their whole team is playing unbelievable basketball.”
The Bucks initially struggled in Lillard’s absence, losing four straight games at one point, but since that skid they’ve won eight straight and haven’t lost in April. Antetokounmpo is averaging a triple-double in that stretch — 31.8 points, 12.0 rebounds and 11.8 assists per game — but eight other players are averaging double-digit scoring. Kevin Porter Jr., who was acquired from the Clippers at the deadline has stepped up in Lillard’s absence at point guard. Forward Bobby Portis has returned after a 25-game suspension for taking an unauthorized painkiller drug, and wings Kyle Kuzma and Gary Trent Jr. have shot the ball exceptionally well from beyond the arc.
The Bucks finished fourth in the NBA in field goal percentage this season and first in 3-point field goal percentage, knocking down 38.7% of their 3s.
“Improved perimeter shooting,” Pacers center Myles Turner said when asked what has changed about the Bucks. “That’s one thing. They have guys who compete, guys who they got on the trade block that have really been helping them. And obviously having Giannis back for the playoffs is huge as opposed to not having him last year. It’s a same team but it’s a different team, so it has to be about us and our habits. Our approach and principles can’t change.”
And their approach has to include winning their first two games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“The biggest difference between last year and this year is playing Game 1 at home,” Haliburton said. “I think last year in Game 1 we got stomped. It felt like we kinda eased in to Game 1 and then woke up in Game 2 and responded. We don’t have that luxury at home. You gotta take care of homecourt because at the end of the day, if nobody wins a road game, you win the series. I think what’s most important is taking care of Game 1.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: NBA playoffs: Pacers looking for strong start with homecourt vs Bucks
