Pacers Have Accomplished Wild Playoffs Feat For First Time In Over Decade

It has been quite a while since the Pacers have been able to do this in the playoffs.

Apr 22, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots the ball while Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) defends during game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers have been one of the most impressive teams in the playoffs so far. They have jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks after two impressive performances.

Indiana never really trailed in either of the first two games at home, and now the series shifts to Milwaukee. Tyrese Haliburton showed everyone in Game 2 why he isn't overrated.

The Pacers have also accomplished something that they haven't done in over a decade. The last time they held a 2-0 lead was back in 2013 over the Atlanta Hawks.

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In that season, the Pacers were able to make the Eastern Conference Finals. They made back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014.

That's something that they have their eyes on this year, as well. If they are able to continue to play the way they have, they have a real shot to make back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals trips again.

The Pacers have been able to take this 2-0 lead on the Bucks through the strength of their transition offense and strong half-court defense.

In Game 1, after the offense dried up, they used their defense to seal up that victory. Still, they scored almost 70 points in the first half, so their offense was still clicking.

In Game 2, Indiana's transition offense early in the game and early in the second half left the Bucks with too big of a gap to overcome. They simply couldn't keep up.

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If the Bucks don't make any adjustments, there's no reason that the Pacers can't sweep them. Indiana has proven through two games that they have the better team, even if the Bucks have the best player.

Of course, the Pacers still haven't proven anything yet. They have to finish off this series before they start feeling confident about their chances to make another deep playoff run.

Playing in Milwaukee will be a different animal, so the Pacers have to be ready for the energy that the crowd will give the Bucks. Winning Game 3 would be the death keel in this series.

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