NBA playoffs: Pacers take 2-0 lead in Damian Lillard's Bucks return as bad blood spills over

Yahoo

07-05-2025

The NBA playoffs continue Tuesday with three Game 2s, including the Lakers' return to action against the Timberwolves after a stunning Game 1 loss at home.
Check out Yahoo Sports' predictions for each first-round series, in addition to Kevin O'Connor's ranking of the top 40 players in the NBA postseason.
Here are the results and key takeaways from Tuesday's games:
Pacers 123, Bucks 115
An already heated series between the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers intensified Tuesday.
But Damian Lillard's return wasn't enough for a Milwaukee win as the Pacers held off a late Bucks rally for a 123-115 victory. The Bucks mounted a 13-0 fourth-quarter rally to cut a 115-100 Pacers lead to two points. But the Pacers regained their composure to hold on for the win despite 34 points, 18 rebounds and seven assists from Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The series now shifts to Milwaukee with the Pacers holding a 2-0 lead.
Lillard not limited, but struggles from the field
Lillard returned to the Bucks lineup Tuesday for the first time since March 18 because of deep-vein thrombosis in his right calf. He started and didn't take his first break until 2:20 remaining in the first quarter en route to playing a full starter's allotment of 37 minutes. He scored 11 first-half points but struggled after halftime and finished the game with 14 on 4-of-13 shooting.
The Pacers, meanwhile, jumped out to a 31-16 lead. This was on top of a 19-point win in Game 1 in which Indiana led by as many as 28 points. Each Pacers starter scored in double figures as Indiana shot 48.9% from the field and 44.4% (16-of-36) from 3.
Milwaukee's offense improved after a 98-point effort in Game 1, but not nearly enough to keep pace with Indiana's efficient attack. Coach Doc Rivers needs to find some adjustments in Milwaukee to avoid a 3-0 hole.
Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) and Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) fight for a rebound during the first half Tuesday in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
These teams don't like each other
From Halibruton's Dame Time celebration in 2023 to Game Ball-gate days later to the Pacers upsetting the Bucks last postseason, there's plenty of bad blood between these two division rivals.
It's spilled over aplenty in the first two games of the series.
Lillard mixed it up in Game 1 while in street clothes in a heated back-and-forth with Haliburton that prompted Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent Jr. to get involved.
Damian Lillard to Haliburton:
'Keep talking. I'll drop a diss track on your ass.' 😭pic.twitter.com/UcOYU3aNqT
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) April 19, 2025
On Tuesday, Lillard hit his first bucket of the series in the first quarter in his first action in more than a month. Haliburton swiftly responded with a 3-pointer in Lillard's face and had some words for the Bucks guard on his way back down the court.
Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton exchanging buckets and words 👀 🍿 pic.twitter.com/UPqnfuaTqv
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) April 22, 2025
Minutes later, Trent threw Siakam to the floor during a fight for a rebound.
Siakam popped back up and made a beeline for Trent before players and an official intervened. A brief scuffle ensued, and Trent and Indiana's Bennedict Mathurin were hit with technical fouls.
Bucks and Pacers get a little heated on this play
Gary Trent Jr. and Bennedict Mathurin were given technical fouls after a review
(via @TSN_Sports)pic.twitter.com/yJ0s6TQxKt
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) April 22, 2025
The series wasn't five quarters old, and players were already at each other's throats.
Then, in the fourth quarter, Milwaukee's Kevin Porter Jr. grabbed the foot of Indiana's Thomas Bryant as Bryant ran down the floor, drawing a flagrant foul for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Kevin Porter trying to be sneaky pic.twitter.com/fPoWjfBdEE
— mm (@muhtacinm) April 23, 2025
Then, with 1:22 remaining, Lillard and Haliburton exchanged words one more time — and not likely the last.
HALI & DAME EXCHANGE WORDS AS PACERS TAKE 2-0 LEAD 🍿
INDY SPOILS DAME'S RETURN 😬 pic.twitter.com/ryX4dS9OpP
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 23, 2025
With at least two games remaining in the series, there's plenty of potential for things to further boil over.
Game 3 is scheduled for Friday night (8 p.m. ET | ESPNU, NBATV) in Milwaukee.
Thunder 118, Grizzlies 99
Ja Morant declared after the Thunder's 131-80 pasting in Game 1 that 'We will never play that bad again.' One game later, he is so far correct, but not nearly as much as Memphis needed in another double-digit Thunder win.
Shai Gilegous-Alexander had 27 points, Jalen Williams had 24 points and Chet Holmgren had 20 points (plus 11 rebounds and five blocks) in another runaway OKC win. The best that can be said for Memphis is they prevented it from being worse.
Grizzlies exit Paycom Center with dignity somewhat intact
Tuesday's game looked like it was heading toward another historic beatdown, with OKC up by 23 in the second quarter, but the Grizzlies managed to look like a real playoff team in the third, which they won 27-20.
It's really not a great sign that we're talking about how the Grizzlies finally looked competitive after seven quarters of basketball, but there's not much that can be said about a team facing the Thunder. When OKC is playing its signature defense, harassing the competition at all three levels and committing seven turnovers total on offense, it is borderline mathematically impossible to beat them.
The Grizzlies showed life, and then the Thunder opened the fourth quarter on a 14-2 run to snuff it out. Maybe the Denver Nuggets or Los Angeles Clippers will do better next round.
Alex Caruso remains a menace
The Thunder's trade for the veteran guard last offseason felt something like a hat on a hat, but it's pretty apparent the Thunder believe you can never have too many standout defenders.
Caruso lived up to that billing Tuesday, smothering every perimeter threat that came near him. The Thunder outscored the Grizzlies by 18 points with him on the floor, the best of any player in Game 2.
Alex Caruso first half highlights this man has zero chill pic.twitter.com/eqMlVAnSjS
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) April 23, 2025
With 13 points off the bench, plus four rebounds and three assists, Caruso was the kind of two-way asset every playoff team needs. Of course, the Thunder are full of those.
Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday night (9:30 p.m. ET | TNT) in Memphis.
Lakers 94, Timberwolves 85
Going off the box score, it was a runaway 94-85 win Tuesday night for the Los Angeles Lakers. And yet, they still have plenty to work on.
The host Lakers took Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves — thanks to a near triple-double from Luka Dončić — to even the first-round series as it heads to the Twin Cities. Game 3 is scheduled for Friday at the Target Center at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Dončić shot 9-of-20 from the floor but hit all 11 of his free throws and added 12 rebounds and nine assists.
Vibes were definitely off for Lakers (and Timberwolves)
The Lakers took a double-digit lead in the first quarter and maintained a lead of at least nine points for the rest of the game, but it was paradoxically a frustrating game, one that left head coach JJ Redick cursing his team out in the third quarter as the Timberwolves tried to make it a game.
The Lakers once again got very little from their bench — Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent supplied all the non-starter production with 13 total points — but it didn't matter Tuesday because Minnesota shot so poorly.
Los Angeles overwhelmed Minnesota on defense, with LeBron James leading a renewed effort at the point of attack and on the 3-point line. And on offense, James and Luka Dončić combined for 52 points, 23 rebounds and 16 assists. The Lakers got the matchups they wanted, most notably Dončić against Rudy Gobert on the perimeter, but their strategy eventually encountered diminishing returns as the Timberwolves adjusted and shook off some foul trouble.
Fortunately, LeBron James can paper over a lot of mistakes.
LEBRON BIG STEAL & BUCKET LATE IN THE 4TH 👑 pic.twitter.com/huetkc1scX
— NBA (@NBA) April 23, 2025
The game was anything but beautiful
It was overall an ugly game, with the two teams combining to go 11-of-54 from 3-point range with 46 fouls (and 45 free-throw attempts). Minnesota had multiple chances to make L.A. really sweat in the fourth quarter, but its only consistent player of the night was Julius Randle, who scored 27 points.
Jaden McDaniels, Mike Conley, Donte DiVincenzo and Nickeil Alexander-Walker combined to go 5-of-26 from the field. Even Anthony Edwards was a bit off, scoring 25 points on 10-of-22 shooting.
Neither coach seemed happy with his team during the contest, but the Lakers at least got the win. The question now is if L.A. can find a more free-flowing game in front of a hostile crowd in Minnesota.