After a disappointing Game 1 performance by the Pacers, where they scored a season-low 94, Indiana bounced back in a big way in Game 2. Tyrese Haliburton led the way for the Pacers with a playoff career-high 37 points to go along with 11 rebounds to follow up a 36-point, 13-rebound outing in Game 1. Haliburton notched his first playoff double-double with 12 points and 12 assists after a rather subpar Game 1, in which he tallied just nine points and eight assists.
Road teams only have one goal in any postseason series: get one game on the road. The Pacers became the first team in the postseason to do just that, and now they head back to Indiana with a chance to put a stranglehold on the series, should they hold serve at home, where they went 26-15 during the regular season.
Haliburton expressed his excitement about the upcoming raucous atmosphere he will experience when they head back to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4. However, he didn’t stop there. He also found a way to take a shot at the Bucks fans.
“I’m expecting it to be unbelievable. No doubt about that. We’ve had regular season crowds better than what we’ve played in the last two games. We expect a great crowd. A lot of people are excited about what’s to come in the series… Just the energy in the city right now with everything that’s going on, but especially with us.” – Tyrese Haliburton
Pacers fans have been devoid of playoff basketball for five years now. They last played in the postseason in 2020, but the playoffs that year were held in the Bubble in Orlando due to the pandemic. April 21, 2019, was the last time Gainbridge Fieldhouse experienced a playoff game, so expect the Indianapolis crowd to bring the energy.
