The Indiana Pacers had their way with the Milwaukee Bucks this season.
That is a statement that hasn’t rung true since Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo established himself as one of the best players on the planet over half a decade ago.
Indiana won four of the five games between the two Central Division foes, including the In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals in Las Vegas early in the year.
Before this year, Milwaukee had taken 11 of the last 12 games in the series, dating back to 2020.
This begs the question, can Indiana sustain its recent success against the Eastern Conference giant and win its first playoff series since 2014?
The Pacers will travel to Milwaukee on Sunday to start a best-of-seven series with the Bucks, and Antetokounmpo’s status is currently up in the air as he recovers from a strained calf suffered early last week.
Regardless, the 2021 NBA Champions will be a tough out, and the No. 6-seeded Pacers are well aware.
So, can Indiana pull off the upset and continue its dominance over this iteration of the Milwaukee Bucks?
Former Pacer Eddie Gill wants to see it before he believes it.
Gill serves as an analyst on the Pacers Radio Network and Bally Sports Indiana, and the former guard joined Jake Query and Jimmy Cook on Query & Company, on 93.5/107.5 The Fan on Monday.
“I think (the Pacers dominance in the season series) gives you the opportunity to be cautiously optimistic,” Gill said.
“Over the last couple of seasons, the Bucks really had their way with the Pacers,” Gill continued. “This season, they have definitely flipped that and turned it on its head, in large part due to the acquisitions that the Pacers have been able to make over the last couple of seasons. Also, the Bucks took a step backward to some degree… They also went through a coaching change in the middle of the season, so they are a team that is in flux and trying to figure it out. But having said that, I think they are still a very good team, and it is going to be a very good series. To think that we are going to go in and sweep them because we won four out of five games is probably not the most rational thought.”
Gill continues to talk about what the Pacers need to do to have the best chance to win a full best-of-seven series against one of the best in the East in an in-depth preview of the upcoming series.
On Sunday, Game 1 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs will tipoff between the Pacers and the Bucks at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, at a time later to be determined.
To catch Jake Query and Jimmy Cook’s full conversation with Eddie Gill, listen to the podcast below! You can always listen to Query & Company from 12-3 p.m. on 93.5/107.5 The Fan, but you can also watch and interact with the show by going to the 107.5 The Fan YouTube Channel, as well as on X, formerly known as Twitter, @1075thefan.
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Will the Pacers recent success vs. Milwaukee translate to the postseason? was originally published on 1075thefan.com
