A lot of people sided with the Indiana Pacers prior to this series tipping-off and now we see why. Indiana has now won the last 3 games and is on the verge of advancing to the next round, if they can close it out on the road against a wounded Bucks team. After struggling in Game 1, we’re now seeing the familiar Pacers offense which led this team to a 47-win season. They’ve now scored 120+ in 3 straight, led by their dynamic duo of Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton. This team doesn’t have all that much experience with closeout games, but momentum and health are two key factors they have on their side heading into Game 5. In 9 games played vs Milwaukee this year, Indy has recorded 7 wins.
The Bucks just cannot catch a break with all the injuries hurting them right now. First it was Giannis Antetokounmpo, then Damian Lillard and now even Khris Middleton sprained his ankle in Game 4. Playing without their 3 leading scorers potentially, the Bucks are just 3.5 point underdogs here, I must say I’m not quite sure where the optimism is coming from. This team has covered the spread just 5 times in their last 15 games, but more importantly they’ve got the 2nd worst defensive rating in these playoffs allowing 121 points per 100 possessions. Forcing turnovers is another area where this team needs to improve, they finished the regular season with the 2nd fewest turnovers forced. It’s really hard to find any positives for Milwaukee ahead of Game 5.
