Damian Lillard’s return to the playoffs was a resounding success, as he led the Milwaukee Bucks to a 109-94 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Lillard, who had not played in the playoffs in over 34 months, wasted no time in making his presence felt. He scored 35 points in the first half, helping the Bucks build a 69-42 halftime lead.
“He’s got that prizefighter-like mentality,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said of Lillard. “It’s almost like he’s training for the fight. When the bell rings, he seems to be ready.”
With Giannis Antetokounmpo still out due to a calf injury, Lillard has become the focal point of the Bucks’ offense. He took on the challenge in Game 1, scoring with ease against the Pacers’ defense.
“I don’t think that it’s all on me, but I know that I’ve got to be a little bit more aggressive and I’ve got to step forward a little bit more assertively,” Lillard said. “In the playoffs … it’s about setting a tone. We’re going to see this team a lot of times, and you want to establish yourself, especially on your home floor. That was just my mentality, to come out and try to set the tone.”
Lillard didn’t score in the second half, but the Bucks were able to hold on to their lead and cruise to the victory. Khris Middleton (23 points, 10 rebounds) and Bobby Portis (15 points, 11 rebounds) also had big performances for Milwaukee.
The Pacers, meanwhile, are now 0-10 in their last 10 playoff games. They trailed by just nine points at the end of the first quarter, but were outscored 39-21 in the second.
“The first half was embarrassing,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. “No excuses. We’ve simply got to come out better. It was ugly, and we all own it.”
Myles Turner led the Pacers with 17 points, but he was just 5-of-17 from the field. Star Tyrese Haliburton also struggled, scoring just nine points in nearly 38 minutes.
“We just didn’t do enough offensively,” Haliburton said. “Didn’t run enough. I thought we did a bad job of getting into the paint, getting the ball moving. I felt like we were a one-action team in the first half offensively.”
Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Wednesday night in Milwaukee.
