Pacers vs Bucks First Round Playoff Series Start Date Revealed

The Indiana Pacers will be taking on the Milwaukee Bucks to open the playoffs, and the first game of the series has been now announced. Game 1 between the two teams will take place on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.

The Bucks and Pacers will get the NBA playoffs started on Saturday.

Game 1 of Bucks-Pacers will tip at 1 p.m. ET in Indianapolis and air on ESPN.
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 14, 2025

We don't know the rest of the series just yet, but these two teams will start the playoffs. This game will be massive for the Pacers as they have home court advantage in the series.

If they can start the series out with a win at home, it could help set the tone for the remainder of the games. Indiana dropped three of four to the Bucks this season, so they will be looking to prove any doubters wrong.

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The Pacers reached the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago, and will be looking to do more damage this time around. Indiana believes that it can make more noise and potentially make a run to the NBA Finals this season.

This core group has found a lot of success on the court, and they aren't backing down from anyone. But the Bucks may cause some challenges due to their size, especially considering that Indiana lacks a ton of depth in the frontcourt.

Milwaukee is likely to be without star point guard Damian Lillard for this series due to his having a serious blood clot issue. Lillard gives the Bucks another star player, so his absence could loom large on the overall outcome of this series.

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However, Indiana won't overlook this Milwaukee team as they know how dangerous they can be. The Bucks will be trying to get some redemption this time around, so the Pacers will need to stop them in their tracks.

Indiana took down the Bucks in the playoffs last season, adding more fuel to this rivalry. Both sides will be looking to make a statement in Game 1, as this best of seven series gets going.

More Pacers news:

Former Pacers Center Retires, Takes Position at NCAA Alma Mater

Rick Carlisle Uses Surprising Word to Describe Pacers Regular Season

Pacers Have Surprising Disadvantage Entering Postseason

Pacers Rick Carlisle Brutally Honest About Facing Bucks in First-Round Rematch

For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, head on over to Indiana Pacers on SI.