Bucks to be Without Two Players for Game 1

The Milwaukee Bucks will be taking on the Indiana Pacers to open the postseason. Game 1 starts this weekend, at 1 p.m. ET from Indianapolis.

More news: Bucks' Damian Lillard Breaks Silence on Injury and Playoff Return

Ahead of the game, Milwaukee has released its first injury report. The team will be without two players for this clash against Indiana.

Star guard Damian Lillard will be out as he recovers from a long injury absence, And forward Tyler Smith will also be out for this game.

Injury Report - April 19 at Indiana

Out:
Damian Lillard (Return to Competition Reconditioning)
Tyler Smith (Left Ankle Sprain)
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 18, 2025

Lillard was expected to be out for Game 1, but there is hope that he will be able to return to the court soon. The star has been out dealing with a serious blood clot issue, but he has since been cleared to return very soon.

Overall, the Bucks' injury report looks fairly clean as the team gets set for the upcoming playoff run. This is great news for Milwaukee, and they believe that they can take down the Pacers in this series.

Indiana took down the Bucks last year in the postseason, so the Bucks will be looking for some redemption this year. If Milwaukee can grab Game 1 on the road, it could help set the tone for the remainder of the series.

It won't be easy, as the Pacers have been one of the best teams during the second half of the regular season. However, Milwaukee has more depth on its roster this time around, and they are out for revenge against the Pacers.

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo weighed in on how the Bucks need to play if they want to take down Indiana.

“We gotta do a better job just communicating, getting back. And then, when we get back, identify where the ball is. And when we identify where the ball is, then we gotta protect our home, which is the paint. If we do those things, we put ourselves in a better position to be successful.”

If Milwaukee can execute its game-plan, it could create some noise in this series. Game 1 will be massive for both teams, and fans should be in for a good matchup.

More Bucks news:

Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo Reveals New Gameplan to Stop Pacers

Bucks Have One Major Advantage Over the Pacers in Playoff Series

For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, visit Milwaukee Bucks on SI.