The Indiana Pacers withstood another big performance from Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo and the return of Damian Lillard, beating the Bucks 123-115 to take a 2-0 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Tuesday.
Pascal Siakam scored 24 points and pulled down 11 rebounds and Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points and 12 assists for the Pacers, who saw a 15-point fourth-quarter lead slashed to two thanks to a 13-0 scoring run from the Bucks.
The Pacers held on for a wire-to-wire win, and Western Conference top seeds Oklahoma City also led throughout in defeating Memphis 118-99 -- two days after a crushing 51-point victory over the Grizzlies in game one.