The Pacers, who made the Eastern Conference finals a season ago, are led by Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. Siakam (20.2 points per game) was an All-Star in 2025, while Haliburton got better as the season progressed. He averaged 20.6 points and 11 assists per game after the All-Star break.

The Milwaukee Bucks began their playoff series with a 117-98 loss against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night. Except for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who dropped 36 points, the performance from other members was lacklustre, especially Kyle Kuzma.