Is Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks becoming a rivalry? How the Pacers can beat the Bucks again

Is Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks becoming a rivalry? How the Pacers can beat the Bucks again

Round five of Pacers bucks tonight Pacers have already won the season series but this has become quite the intense series is this a rivalry what will it take for the Pacers to win again can the Bucks overcome it Tai Windish of the eurostep podcast we’ll break it all

Down today here on the locked on Pacers podcast you are locked on Pacers your daily Indiana Pacers podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day happy Wednesday y’all and welcome into another edition of the lockon Pacers podcast where are we of course talk

About the Indiana Pacers as always my name’s Tony East I cover the team for Forbes and Si and today we’re talking Pacers bucks again because the two teams play again after playing Monday their fifth game since mid November including the inseason tournament has become quite the series all intense games some high

Scoring nights some drama fileld moments some technical fouls clearly some added physicality and intensity to these games but is it a rivalry that’s something we’ll discuss today along with the series in general the x’s and those the minations that have made these games so fascinating and so far in the Pacers

Favor they’ve already clinched the season series and who better to do that with than someone who covers the Bucs Ty Wes from the eurostep podcast one of my favorite people covering this Buck team we get into all of it the Rivalry aspect of it if it even is one we get to the

Bottom of that all the EX’s and NOS you can want to know it’s all coming toight on lock on Pacers let’s just get right to it to rivalry or not to rivalry that is the question among many we will be talking about today bucks Pacers round

Five and less than two months it’s about time we get a buck person on to talk about what this season has been he’s Tai Windish with the eurostep one of the best places to hear about about the Milwaukee Bucks on a day-to-day basis Ty I made fun of the Bucks earlier this

Season they were like 13- four and I had watched the Bucks like six times and I think they’d impressed me like twice and then they started playing really good and they’ve been awesome since but they still are one and three against the Pacers it’s been a very interesting buck

Season it has been it’s we’ve seen uh the highs and the lows already to a certain extent as you note you know the lows for Milwaukee are like oh they’re only fourth in the conference with a top 10 net rating this is horrible and and Bucks some Bucks fans and many analysts

Certainly were you know really freaking out and concerned about that I think we’ all over here in Milwaukee kind of hope that it would be like a you know 30 and zero start because hey Dame’s here now and there be nothing to figure out and there’s been quite a bit to figure out

And of course a lot of discourse about the job Adrien Griffin is doing and all this stuff but I will say I think it’s without a doubt one of the best storylines for the bucks and maybe the NBA probably more the Bucks Pacers cuz no one outside of the Midwest cares

About the Midwest but the the budding bucks Pacers rivalry that took a you know a leap forward in the inseason tournament and then of course game ball gate I actually thought I didn’t think there would be even as much energy as there was in Monday’s game on on New

Year’s Day I figured the time difference so much else going on Christmas things would simmer down a little it did wasn’t out of hand but of course little shenanigan at the end and Isaiah Jackson and Bobby Portis TJ McConnell and Bobby poris Bobby poris not getting thrown out

Of that game is a huge upset based on how many times Pacers tried to make that happened clearly um that a long answer but yeah it’s it’s been an interesting buck season and the Pacers have added a lot of spice to it yeah I watched the

Bucks play the Mavs once and I was like oh yeah okay like that was one of good one 10 games 12 games I was like okay like if this if the Bucks are going to be awesome they’re going to look like this and then they the next time I

Watched them they played the Knicks and they weren’t very much weren’t but then they’ve been really good for a while except for playing except for playing the faers for some reason all right we we’ll talk about this first right so I I talked to some people uh on the Pacers

About this so the the word rivalry right that’s a big word right the last time the Pacers had a rivalry to me I’m sure some listeners can disagree or even go farther back than me for me I would say is the heat the Bron heat teams that they played in the Conference Finals

Twice the reason I bring that up is not to say that like it’s been a while since that had a rivalry it’s because that formed because of postseason battles and so when you ask Tyrese Halbert about the Rival the word rivalry he’s like they have won a championship and been deep in

The playoffs a lot and we have never been there so he his opinion is no right some other Pacers players are like yeah maybe like there’s a lot that’s happened here so the difference between the playoffs and just regular season games is they played in the inseason

Tournament I don’t know where you sit on the importance of that so if you’re just team playoffs make rivalries argument which I am receptive to I think that can be the case like rockets Warriors for example yeah yeah I think that that’s fair right but if you are storylines or

Uh moments or intensity or physicality make rivalries yeah we’re there game ball gate the Dame celebration from Tyrese two or three technical fouls in every game they’ve played five times in this going to be like 50 days or something like yeah first one was what like mid late November yeah yeah it’s

Not been long that feels like years ago now right right yeah that one Giannis had 50 whatever and that was like the least intense game of all of them right it was a two-point game so they’ve all just had something in it whether it’s Giannis going crazy right or a

Celebration or a game ball or a handshake or a million technical fouls so I I don’t know how you get your bases for a ride a rivalry or if you want to use that word or not I think I want a new word right because it’s more than

It’s it’s not a regular season game you could tell by the way it’s played but I but I agree with Tyrese to a point that like a playoff series does like set it if that makes any sense if they meet in the postseason this year oh yeah we’re

There so I don’t know where you stand but I think we’re like right we’re like on the precipice I think it’s a rivalry I’m not one of these like air of superiority Bucks fans who have adopted it because they don’t want to look at the reality of the situation with this

Year well listen I mean I get I get that definition I think there can just be degrees to rivalries like the best one we’ve had in decades is for sure Cavs Warriors it’s going to be really hard to match it’s just it’s weird for teams to

Meet that often but I think we can’t go in the NBA putting up our noses to potential rivalries because we don’t get that many I mean you just said for the Pacers it’s been what 10 years now I mean and they’ve been they’ve been good throughout that time it’s not like you

Know we’re talking about a franchise that’s you know they win 20 games a year they don’t have any Rivals like no they made playoff runs you know they’ gone to the playoffs have some great players on the team so I think we should just embrace it they these teams don’t like

Each other and they get up for playing each other which as watching most of the Bucks games it’s not always the case I can tell you even against some pretty good teams um they want these games uh and they haven’t maybe said it directly as much and you know a playoff series

Would make it to a whole new level I think the End season tournament while not playoffs clearly most of the teams involved really did want it and it was more intense I think I think that like I said like just accelerated what this was I don’t think even if the game was like

As chippy when they met it’s not the same just because the the level of eyeballs on it too I mean it was a real true national game which I know Tesa talked about had not had any of those before this season really sorry NBA TV Executives as you’re tuned in but you

Know the big TNT and and ABC ones or ESPN wherever so I I think it’s a rivalry you know I think we’ll see it’s going to be almost a little tough if you know obviously they play again I think it’s going to be a good competitive probably heated game in Indiana but then

Of course they don’t play again for the rest of the season and if there is no playoff matchup then maybe it cools down a lot you never know how teams could change before the next meeting everything else you assume you know at least Giannis and Dame and and Tyrese

Would all still be there and they’d be something but you never know what the teams will look like next time out it could all change by next year I think right here right now heading into their fifth game in two months or three months or whatever it is a rivalry though and

And I hope we get another great game I hope everyone plays out the whole thing through end and doesn’t get ejected I’d like to see the the full game not The Abridged version where theosis has to play or something um but yeah I think it’s a

Rivalry yeah I think a couple things one something fun that adds to it is Tai is from Wisconsin right you Ty hurn oh funnily enough me too Ty Windish also an Oscar’s native so that I don’t know I don’t know if I’m like lower than second on most famous ties associated with

Oshkosh but I’m for sure not first I know that there you go so I that’s why I mentioned the playoff thing like then it for sure becomes one because let’s let’s pretend they don’t mean the playoffs like there’s a chance depending on how the schedule shakes out that like they

Play tonight and then they don’t play till 2025 right like that would suck but it’s not like impossible right so they they if it’s gonna cement itself as like something everybody looks forward to even next season a series would do it and I think right now they’re 27 I I I

Mean it’s closed for too long I kept hoping the Pacers would win more I think they kind of lowkey exhaust the Bucks who are old and they keep lining up too good which is a little a little concerning to be honest so I I almost would acquaint it to like ah these teams

Have met in the post season I was gonna say Sixers Celtics but that feels bigger I mean they they that because that’s more historic too that’s the other thing bucks Pacers like I think they have met up like once back in the day but it’s not like clearly going into this season

Neither of these franchises outside of just being in the same division I don’t think would have called out each other as a top like three to five rival and it really is you mentioned postseasons it’s like the Sixers I think are a unique case because their fan base is the worst

But there’s Celtics Raptors heat and then kind of suns when I was asked to name like bucks Rivals you know it’s the teams they played in the playoffs those are the ones that just come to mind first and then against Sixers now Pacers would be on that list I think Suns is

Kind of you I think it would be a great series cuz KD there now they have the KD thing but like the Nets obviously that was a big series but teams deteriorate now so fast that and it doesn’t really matter anymore it’s a whole new team so

I think things are very fluid now which is why I’m more willing to latch on to this as a real rivalry I like your stance maybe I’ll adop your stance we pel pel’s Grizz I think that’s the best I can do the ja Z stuff that I think is

As close as I can get in those two teams it’s still like a thing especially in both those guys play yeah hey I have to really quickly talk to about the lovely people over at FanDuel the NFL regular season is wrapping up huge game for the Colts this

Weekend there’s still time to get in on the action for the NFL with FanDuel America number one sports book right now new customers on FanDuel can get $50 in bonus bets that’s a lot guaranteed all you got to do is place a $5 doll bet to get that that’s 150 bucks

In bonus bets win or lose at fanduel.com lockdown you make your first bet there win or lose that $5 bet 50 bucks in bonus bets the app on FanDuel super easy to use there are several different ways you can use it to bet like finding bets

In their new explore tab you can do live save game parlays you can make a parlay in their parlay Hub the best way to find popular parlays and plenty more over on FanDuel so again that’s fanduel.com lockon and make your first bet a layup on FanDuel an official partner of the

NFL the other part of this is they’re in the same division and if I can add on stuff um prior to the season tie I said every time these teams play I would just say the Pacers never beat Yannis right like since 2018 they did it once well

Twice now before the season and it was one game that Giannis didn’t play and then the other one was last year when the Pacers made 22 threes and like blew the roof off of five form shooting threes and every other time that Giannis played the Bucks beat the PAC right it

Was just like fed comp it’s over they have no answer for him and no one has an answer for him but he does amazing against the Pacers including the season two and now I can’t say that anymore because this year the Pacers have found success against the Bucks beating them

Three times and like not doing the same formula every time which is why it’s been so interesting to me some of it is that like Dame didn’t play in the first one and Dame kind of stunk twice but some of it’s just that the Pacers have pushed some interesting buttons so as

You look at these games right the Bucs have an awesome record why have the Pacers done so well against them what has made this a thing that oh the Pacers get up and can beat the Bucks three times in two months yeah I think it’s it’s really is a variety of reasons and

I’m glad you said it too it has felt like it hasn’t been the same thing that that has cost the Bucks against Indiana every time I mean there’s been obviously like the Pacers guards tend to be really good in the games which is a theme for bucks opponents I mean they don’t have

Any real strong perimeter defense and that certainly hurts but that’s not unique to the Pacers like they’ve you know the Bucs have played well against the Knicks occasionally they did they did lose a stinker to the Knicks but you know they’ve been able to allow teams with great perimeter players to score

Still bottle up the rest of the team and and get a win like that that’s kind of been one of their most common Avenues to winning this year and it’s not like you know Tyrese hasn’t been 4020 every game either he’s had some amazing games against the Bucks and played really well

Overall but I think that’s part of it I think earlier when they were more of an aggressive offensive rebounding team they just couldn’t contain leak outs at all and I think that especially that first game when Dame didn’t play and jannis scored 50 whatever and you know

Their defense was so leaky in transition and just feels like they’ve kind of firmed that up and now it’s just a general perimeter defense question and then I think the two Dame games just hurt so much because you know the Bucks have gradually slowly improved defensively from horrible to

Passable I would say most of the time but when you’re passable you still need your offense to be great or at least good and it really it is hard to be great or good when you know Dame Lillard who’s a fantastic player and I don’t know if the Pacers have figured

Something out or uh if Dame is just kind of working through some things getting used to his new role he spoke about that after the uh the game on Monday but he’s I think you know been like what three for 15 on Monday and a pretty similar line in that in-season tournament game

Those are just going to be hard for the Bucs to win against anybody I mean they’re going to have to be a very good offensive team with the way they’re built now with Dam Malik Beasley starting together uh so it’s been really interesting to see that way I will say

To give credit to the Pacers not just make it seem inexplicable I think they’ve done a good job hounding Giannis even though he has scored all those points and I think they are really good at taking advantage if guys like Dame are not playing well I mean they’re just

I don’t want to say Shameless but just like blatant about we’re going to send everyone to yanis and make someone else do something and if they’re not then he’s gonna have to beat three or four guys every time and I think guys like Aaron n Smith Isaiah Jackson obviously

Miles Turner is the main guy but those two guy I mean I’d say Isaiah Jackson in particular I know n Smith has gotten a lot of Buzz I thought he’s been great at defending Giannis across this matchup really been impressive um so I think the Pacers do a good job on Giannis when

They’re able to obvious VI L the whole thing with the Bucks is you get the Superstar floor stretching point guard to make giannis’s life easier when that doesn’t happen though the Bucs then become beatable because they can’t they can’t really win with defense anymore they’ll have some okay stretches but you

Know turnovers which they turnovers is the other thing Pacers have gotten Steals and you know their defense the Buc defense is passable when it’s like okay we’re in the half court again we’re in the half court if they get pressed At All by turnovers bad offensive runs that’s when things become intolerable so

I think Indiana has you know had a couple couple of things go right and then done a great job pouncing on those things and that’s how they’ve won those games yeah there were two or three in the End season Tournament game that was like even the Bucks score and the Pacers

Just throw it in and throw up the floor it’s like oh he’s can’t do that right so that was a big thing are you ready for some stats Ty always Pacers have three games this season with 14 or more excuse me Pacers have five games this season

With 14 or more offensive rebounds three of them are against the Milwaukee Bucks right so that’s been a big thing 16 when Giannis went crazy and they lost uh 15 in the inseason tournament Victory and then 14 on Monday and that I mean that’s how like two of the Pacers worst

Shooting games that they won were against the Bucks because they were able to win The Possession game and do well in that way and that’s something that’s really helped them is the Bucks aren’t particularly killer on the offensive glass they’re fine rebounding team but just not kill her on the offensive glass

And then the turnovers have compounded on that and given the Pacers extra chance chances just looking at the field goal attempt numbers number two stat number two the Pacers have attempted 32 or more free throws four times in a game this season two of them are against the

Milwaukee Bucks and this speaks to something you already said the guards have awesome games because the Bucks Premier defense isn’t particularly good and halton’s like a fine driver he’s pretty good but that’s not like his game but McConnell and Maan in particular just Relentless Rim pressure because

Malik Beasley can’t guard any anybody in this matchup like in the clutch on Monday they just kept going at him whoever if he was on halberton halberton would run the pick and roll if he was on McConnell it was McConnell and mine’s been great in three or four of their

These games so that’s been significant as they’ve been able to yeah Giannis is taking a million he’s he earns them to be clear I’m not one of those yeah people who disagrees with that but the Pacers can match it to the best of their abilities by themselves getting to the

Room which is unu not unusual but like higher than they do in other games so those two things really stand out to me is stuff they do better against the Bucks and other teams as a stylistic advantage that even though the Bucs can have the sufficient offense because

Either the one game that Dame played well or Yannis is scoring what roughly 6,000 points in one game they can keep up because they also can have an efficient offense and that makes them either close or just have a chance and they’ve been able to capitalize on it

Yeah the offensive rebounding thing has been I’ve been really looking closely at recently the the one the ones the Bucks give up to be clear and you can tell it’s it’s the root cause again is the perimeter defense like the the perimeter guys don’t stay even close enough when

Brooke is in drop and then Brooke has to go you know try and Corral the ball handler and then it’s just so tough to have someone because usually it’s like Dame or your best shot is Giannis but often it’s more like Chris Middleton or Dame is trying to come and then box out

Miles Turner or Isaiah Jackson on the offensive rebound and they’re so far way to begin with and obviously just much smaller so that’s again like you know it’s pretty easy to it’s obvious but I think around trade deadline the Bucks are going to be looking at any perimeter

Defender they can find and maybe even buyout Market if if one becomes available just because it’s not really tenable I know Maran Bo champ missed uh the game on Monday Andre Jackson Jr just got a little bit of burn those are guys that people are excited about as

Perimeter Defenders but also we’ve seen them get beat Aton as well frankly themselves and maybe they’re maybe better than Malik Beasley a bit better than Dame who you know is mostly good he had the one of course low light against Tyrese but I think that happens to most

Guys throughout the league looking for the screen it’s not there and he’s gone it happened to Beasley in an earlier game against Tyrese as well um but overall those guys are just not good enough and and the rookies are not bar Champs in the second year um but

Sometimes you know either they’re not as effective defensively either or you’re just trading so much offense for defense it’s just been a tough situation with this team trying to guard uh Smalls basically you know forwards when Crowder’s healthy I mean Middleton’s done a little better than he was last

Year of course you have Giannis as well uh but the small guys have given Milwaukee a lot of trouble and then it’s it’s led to Lopez getting pulled away from the paint even when he’s in drop and and then guys like Isaiah Jackson uh Miles Turner can Fe even Obi toen of

Course who can get up and then put one back too yeah and the and the adjustment Griffin went to Monday was like okay Brooke’s gonna guard maen because the Pacers aren’t shooting well and then they just threw floaters over him for four possessions and they won the game

Like that’s that’s a good adjustment to make it’s just that’s still hard to do it is there there are a lot of Griffin detractors and I he’s certainly not perfect but it is funny when I see like they’re not trying anything new out there when teams kill them and it’s like

They play like three different defensive coverages they put Brooke on a wing to try and change that up like nothing works like I would love to see the adjustment that people have in mind to stop Indiana from scoring on the bucks with with this roster of players who’s

Available I mean if you if you want to play Andre Jackson Jr 30 minutes he’ll probably get to like 14 before he FS out if you want to do that that’s fine but I I don’t think that’s going to suddenly stop Tyrese Halbert and and Company from

Scoring that most people haven’t found a way to really do that consistently um but certainly with a roster like this it’s it’s just been difficult uh for Milwaukee to say the least one more break here guys so I can talk to about the lovely people over at

Game time my favorite way to buy tickets to events that I go to how do I know it’s so great I used it in New York to go watch the New York Liberty it’s fast it’s easy you can use it for sports music comedy theater whatever’s buy you

They’ve got it and they’ve killer last minute deals all in prices view receipt and the best price guarantee and I used all those features to use game time when buying tickets myself I could see exactly what the view is going to be in the barlay center on

There I knew I was getting the best price because they have the game time guarantee if you find tickets in the same section or for Less they’ll credit you 110% of the difference so I felt great about the price I was getting I knew exactly what I was going to pay so

There were no hidden fees and they were right on it and I got the tickets to the day of the game last minute deals everything on game time is the absolute best way to buy tickets to events I highly recommend it you’ve got to check it out download the game time app create

An account use the code locked on for $20 off your first purchase terms apply again create an account and redeem the code l c n for $20 off at game time download game time today last minute tickets lowest price guaranteed yeah the flowchart of have you been able to stop the Pacers

Consistently is are you the Orlando Magic if the answer is no you have not been able to stop the Pacers consistently yeah I think as an aside to like Pacers Bucks A lot of times when people say like the coach didn’t adjust or like blah blah blah it’s very

Like reaction to what happened just did they win or lose that’s if they win it’s like I think he’s doing a good job just either didn’t work or like it’s all they could do the the storyline after Monday the other one was uh they have Dame playing like Klay Thompson out

There which I was really just like he brings up the ball most of the time when he’s on the court he’s up there like one touch less than Giannis per game for the season like I I don’t know man I don’t know what some people are watching but I

I don’t think he’s playing like Klay Thompson four on these guys maybe he should have the ball more than Dame maybe when Dame is three for 12 in the fourth quarter you try to do something else I I don’t know is that is that a good plan maybe maybe not but they lost

So it was all stupid obviously yeah dumb trade everyone fire the coach and and just try and rebuild and see what kind of assets you can get this is obviously an easy theme to point at because it just won the Pacers a game but um the game the Bucks won right

14126 Bobby poris was great he had 19 he was a plus 16 campaign had a nice passing game Bo champ was three for four Andre Jackson gave them nice minutes and fouled a bunch like you said yeah their bench was good in that game and in the inseason tournament game uh the Pacers

Bench was just just a wee bit just a wee bit better and Monday night the Pacers bench was like eon’s better and the Pacers do have a lot of depth that’s been a strength for them all season but you you keep talking about them adding a

Player like in General on a Trader bio market and they had no Crowder in boow champ on Monday I get it but like they they just need a guy a lot of times because they have some items where it’s just like woefully ineffective and the Pacers have none of those or very rarely

Have those and the bench has been huge for the Pacers in these games because starters versus starters in all four so far the Bucks have been better right it’s just once the mixing and matching starts that the Pacers getting Advantage so I think that speaks to everything you

Just said is like they just had either they’re fully healthy team or one more guy even that would go a long way because the benchs have been all Pacers yeah well I think too I know the the stat was something crazy like 70 to 15 which is a little was like exactly the

Same as the Bucks hole the buck bench yeah I mean listen again when TJ McConnell outscores Damen Lillard it’s probably going to be a rough night for for the bucks but I know like um nard got hurt and I think yeah there was a Jaylen Smith only ended up playing like

11 minutes so two starters combined for 19 minutes for Indiana so the number is probably a little bigger but there is no debating Indiana’s bench has been much much better and I think the the interesting thing to me is I I look at most of what they do with their bench

Minutes and I think it makes sense like they they’re never without one of Chris damanis it’s not like they’re doing fiveman bench groups where they’re just saying campaign and Pat Conan figure it out uh there’s been some rough moments for sure with Chris Leading The Way with turnovers although one thing I’ve

Noticed is usually he has the ugliest turnovers that stand out but those are often his only ones and he still ends up having a pretty efficient night he has a good good scoring the ball had some bad passes on Monday but it’s just really comes down guys not hitting shots often

Enough I mean they opening up looks for Bobby poris Pat Conan pay to a certain extent pay is like everyone said he was streaky and all Bucks fans repeated it to each other and then like it’s still hard to cope with just how streaky he is

He has got to be one of the Streaker players in the National Basketball Association the highs are super high the lows are are tough and we’ve seen his minutes fluctuate to he plays with Dame to he only plays when Dame’s not out there to we’ve seen some where he just

Doesn’t play at all in second halfs but yeah it’s a little it’s a little surprising you would think players like Bobby por is Pat Conan would give the Bucs a little more stability Bobby had been better has had some real rough games in the last couple weeks or month

Or so Conan has just not shot well in the regular season for since the beginning of last season he had a good postseason against the Heat all glorious horrible five games it was um and he was good in that series too and he still like he had some steals he does some

Things nice he’s you know he knows where to be but the shooting is just killing they just need more points I mean they’re they’re a team again going back to that theme of their defense can’t hold up that’s not just starters that’s the whole roster they need to score I

Think they have the Personnel to score at least somewhat like you know the other thing is when you’re built like the bucks with Dame chanis the starter minutes are probably going to be great you if you’re bench is dead even that’s fine you just need to score some and

They can’t do that when things just dry out poris is off and on three-point shooting this year but overall since like the championship year has not been a very good three-point shooter again with Conan uh um I know Malik Beasley coming off the bench would help a lot

But frankly no one’s earned that starting role if Crowder comes back and plays as good as he has we can have that conversation then he had been scoring the ball at an unsustainable rate but just playing good solid ball all around and giving them a lot on the perimeter

Defensively too so yeah I mean I think you look at I I think especially Conan with poris being the third big and with Robin Lopez as your fourth big that’s a really crucial role I think he’s less likely to be moved but if Conan is unable to just you know start hitting

Some shots more consistently I do think he that Portland second this year you know maybe the guys like Bo champ or Andre Jackson Jr they you could look at trying to find some sort of a more consistent two-way Wing or even guard player uh to fill that role just because

You know semi- shooting not great defensive players just don’t have much of a fit on this team anymore and you can really tell you know this was a roster that was built with Drew holiday to be at point guard and then of course you know you don’t pass on getting Dame

But all the other moves were made before that one except for pain right I think that really shows in a roster that tried to just load up on offense to overcome Drew’s inability in the playoffs and now they had the opposite problem sounds like uh the Bucks could use one Jordan

War back huh oh some regret I hear and you’re what um he was great for the Pacers last year truly he he was he uh he’s not playing this year but he was great for the Pacers last year yeah well they’re trying a lot of guys at the four

So maybe he’ll maybe he’ll get another crack funnily enough the reason I miss the game ball fracus like right when it happened is because the game ended and I watched Jordan War be line to the Bucks bench and just daap up everybody and I was like wow he’s still tight with all

Those guys and then I flipped over to like start riding and then the they come back on and they’re like there was just a big thing and the hallway I’m like what I was watching Jordan War I checking out Jordan War yeah he came in

Late in that game and I think was like laughing with some of the guys on the court too and it’s like oh that’s nice yeah good for I talked to him before their game on Monday he’s still very tight lot of those guys um yeah it’s funny you mentioned the shooting thing

Because I I was checking out the P like they won on with going five for 35 from Deep on Monday I was like man they have not shot well in any of these games against the Bucks except for that first one where they were on fire but then I

Was like oh man the Bucks been worse like all of them right they both they’re both top 10 and three-o percentage and they’ve both been awful from three like every time they play each other for some reason it is the weirdest thing it’s jarring to see a team like the Pacers

Score like run up paint points on the buck just the whole Buck identity free throws what theck they never that too that too um which again it’s it’s funny too because it’s like you know they’re dropping with Brooke again like it’s not like they’re trying to do and they

Switch it up when it doesn’t work which the Bucs of buen Hol also did but it’s not like you know they’re trying to give up these paint points they’re not I mean their whole thing is run guys off three and don’t give up paint points they’re

Just unable to with the way teams have pressured them defensively which I know we just keep coming back to but it is such a through line for so many things that go wrong for the bucks at least on that end last thing because to me this

Is the swing thing I I think if Dame gets going the P are just toast right because it’s hard yeah yeah you can’t I mean they scored 140 without him going he was six for 14 when they scored 140 right like that’s all it takes what what

Do you think they can do I mean is it just make make the shots like n hard’s a good Defender who knows if he’ll be healthy Bruce Brown might be out again who knows um McConnell can be a pest and he was one but like they’re good enough

Defenders and Dame’s not tall so they can actually like put great capable guys on him but like freaking Dam we’re talking about like it shouldn’t these names I said shouldn’t matter right that much so is it just making them like that to me if he if he is a normal game the

Pacers are just toast like is that it to you um it’s not it I mean I don’t want to simplify it that much and I you know that’s I mean it’s fair I mean listen I think it’s hard for any team but especially for a team like the Pacers

Which again this is most teams but there’s just they don’t have many good one-on-one options for Yannis which it sounds no one does right but like really not at all I mean when when they were trying to let him Miles Turner just guard him it was just not going well and

Isaiah Jackson had some moments but of course you can’t let those guys you can’t let Giannis isolate on those guys right and if Dame is also hitting the shots then it’s like okay how do we send help to both and that’s the whole point of this buck season is if both guys are

Going and they’re playing well together there is no way to guard them both that that’s the whole thing especially with Indiana with the a size down low certainly you would think you know if Dame is uh you know 10 for 15 or something it’s going to be a difficult

Night as long as Giannis isn’t missing stuff at the rim and and maybe even if he is I mean we’ve seen Dame carry the Bucks a couple times this year already even though overall I think probably below his standard he can still be so good when he’s on there was a Raptor

Game or he was just an absolute flamethrower that Yannis missed and that’s why they won and I think uh fourth quarter against Brooklyn as well he just took that game over so yeah I think it’s going to be interesting to see see how they adjust if Dame is

Playing well in this game on Wednesday just because you know you can’t just keep letting him shoot he a guy who scored 70 points before but you also can’t get too cute with you guardis either so I think some of the things they’ve done really well like in the in

Season Tournament game is they purposefully leave Rook Lopez open and just dare him to shoot I would imagine that just cut off my point that’s good that’s good that’s it because like oh who’s the fifth guy it’s I don’t mean to call out Brooke but that’s the fifth guy

With the starters Beasley is such a good shooter we’ll see if Middleton plays Maybe be a a young guy starting for him that would then be the guy that’d leave open but okay Brook Lopez On The Wing we we we love you big guy you’re a good

Shooter if you hit six of 10 oh well like that’s better than than Dam and Yan is cooking us and I think the bucks for their end need to be a lot more um force the issue on some of these I think sometimes they go that’s the good shot

That’s the good shot that’s the good shot what was the I think Brooke took like 10 threes in the inseason tournament game like that’s not good that’s too many and he wasn’t was wasn’t hot at any point so I think the Bucks need to if that is the Pacers response

Of basically we’ll play four on five defensively the Bucks need to go too bad like we’ll take Brooke off the floor we’re not just going to let you do this because obviously you know open Catch and shoots generally bad but Giannis dunking and Dame pulling up is even

Worse so I I think that’s the interesting chess match and I’m hoping to see hoping to see Dame play well one and and get that game and and then to see how things go from there and and the pieces keep moving I feel like these two coaches have pretty adaptive we’ve seen

A lot of different things in these games and I think that adds some flavor to it as well so kayin Cooper posted a picture of this which was going to be my final point of how the Pacers def changed defending Giannis from late last month

To this most recent game and you can see in the one they just played Monday Giannis is coming up the floor he just crossed half court and there’s a wall right above the free throw line to cut him off which is smart that’s how you should defend Giannis for the Pacers and

It’s Miles Turner Jaylen Smith and Andrew nard and so Giannis can’t score there but then on the left wing one pass away being helped off is Dame and on the right wing one pass away being helped off is Brook Lopez so it’s like if they’re just making shots you can’t

Defend Giannis that way and Dame hasn’t made shots and Brook Lopez I was gonna I looked it up while you were talking is six for five excuse me five for 22 from three in these four games so like if either one of them is just punishing that coverage it’s like you shrug you

Know it’s like okay it’s it’s been the Bucks identity since 1819 but back then it was you know it still Brooke But Eric bledo and you know guys like that who you obviously couldn’t rely on and now that Dame is the the other guy on the

Other corner there and Chris is on the court somewhere it really it becomes even harder for defenses but I think Indiana’s just been really was really good its points of just being like we just got to make sure it’s Brooke right if like leave Brook wide open like more

Than you leave other people open because we can’t afford these other guys getting going and that’s that’s been an interesting thing to watch too so you’d hope Milwaukee can you know move where he’s on the floor or something of course if he’s too close to the rim then it

Again again becomes a little too easy to help off which is why you know you’re sometimes teams are able to force Brooke off the floor but that’s where Bobby also not hitting threes and Crowder being out makes it difficult because there is no perfect answer at the four

Unless you go really small with Middleton and then we run into more rebounding issues and uh the Bucks I it sounds silly to be this verc about not having Jay Crowder but Jay Crowder coming back would be uh very beneficial I think it’s supposed to be just a

Couple of weeks here uh if he’s able to look anything like he did early in the season that should help unlock a lot of this stickiness for Milwaukee I agree I’m looking forward to this one rivalry or not adjustments or not there’s clear ways that both teams can play a lot

Better and a lot worse in some so I looking forward to it TI you’re the best this was awesome I hope we get to see more Pacers bucks this season if it comes to that where can people find you and your work covering the bucks with

What I must say is the best name for a team specific podcast in the United States thank you very much I appreciate that um I didn’t come up with the name not that clever but uh you can find all our podcasts and everything that we do cover

In the Bucks and other Wisconsin sports teams at gspn doino I am on Twitter SLX and threads Tai Windish tiw ND I uh and appreciate anyone who uh who checks out our stuff as always even if it’s uh to laugh if the Bucks get gashed again I

Will I will still take your listenership dear Pacers fans that’s fine they they’ll be flocking if they go four and one against after the LA I think the Bucks won 11 in a row at one point against the Pacers if they go four and one against the Bucs this season they

Will they they will take it it’s earned it’s earned I’m not I’m not mad at it at all I would do the same thing the Bucs were in this position before and it felt great they made shirts that said 24 and one because they stopped the Warriors winning streak in a season they

Accomplished very little else like you got to take what you can get obviously the Pacers have a lot of good things coming you know I don’t know if you know this I talk about that game a lot right really yes because every time the Pacers

Lose the last game of a road trip and they just get waxed I’m like guys NBA teams like suck on the last game of road trips and my example is the Warriors on the seventh game of a road trip who had literally not lost the game all CA

Losing to the Bucks that year yeah and the shirts were made and it was a whole thing but like I I really I don’t get mad it’s like you know a lot of things suck Sports broader than that enjoy enjoy the fun stuff why not it’s like people were getting really upset about

Game ball gate and I was like I get why everyone was mad maybe you could say the Bucks were in the wrong more obviously that everyone’s heated it’s post no one know saying who’s wrong is dumb because no one knows no one knows right and okay maybe three people know but there

Everyone was petty I think at a certain point like there was a miscommunication and then it became clear that the other sides wanted different things and both reactions was immediately you’re not getting the thing I don’t we don’t care you’re not getting it for sure it’s like

Yeah they hate each other it’s a rivalry look at look at they they they had a Kur fuffle in the tunnel if that’s not a rival that that’s to me if there’s a Kur fuffle in the tunnel that’s a rivalry how you get the game ball for

This podcast you better than me and I will not I don’t I don’t agree I like honest I’m giving it to you for your three-pointers record we’re gonna fight because I’m giving it back to you that’s what’s actually gonna cause this cff signing James Johnson right that’s right it’s secur

Okay okay all right you got me I have to talk about this sorry James Johnson is on the Pacers um yeah B the buck thing happened right before right yeah so a lot of bucks people were like I did this this is in this is in reaction to what

Happened and maybe it was maybe they officially did it that day because of that they were talking to him before but maybe they officially did that day because of it what is the real tangible difference between tough guy James Johnson and tough guy thanasis can you explain the difference to me jast was

Already there that’s it’s the timing timing that’s fun but but not but it’s the timing that’s funny it’s the timing that is incredibly funny right after we got all these going difference in like their roles on the bench um did you know what you know what the funniest thing

Was is that I was mad at thanasis for making Jay Crowder hold him back and I was mad at Crowder for holding him back I was like Jay Crowder has had to get abdominal surgery he does not need to be aggravated this injury ta if ta gets suspended for a game that’s not

Impacting the Bucks all that much I love ta love ta contributes a lot off the court if he’s suspended for a game that is better than Jay Crowder aggravating that injury I was like let him go if he wants to go it won’t be that bad

Hopefully maybe but no it’s not a big difference but the timing is hysterical if the if the Bucks didn’t have ta and then they signed him the day after the game would have also been very very funny it would have been very funny to be clear I’m very Pro ta and that kind

It’s it’s it’s a big role and now and now we’ve got no point where there’s a section of Bucks fans who are like the Heat have done all this winning and they had you Donis Haslam so you should have a guy like this I’m like you know what

Fine I don’t I don’t it doesn’t move me either way but sure if if we’re getting to the point where we’re debating the 15th roster spot it’s time it’s time to wrap it up I’m on Twitter whatever the heck you call it at Tony R East in this show is

At lockon Pacers back tomorrow talking about whatever happens in this basketball game fracases are no rases we’ll cover it all here and I’m sure Ty and the crew over at the eurostep will do the same thing thank you all for listening have a fantastic day we will see you tomorrow

The Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks face off for the fifth time of the NBA season tonight. Is that matchup becoming a rivalry? Host Tony East is joined by Ti Windisch from The Gyro Step podcast to answer that question before looking at the important Xs and Os factors that have defined the season series so far.

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOPacers?sid=YouTube

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA

📲 Follow Locked On Pacers on Twitter
Locked On Pacers https://twitter.com/lockedonpacers
Tony East https://twitter.com/TonyREast

#Pacers #IndianaPacers #NBA #PacersPodcast #IndianaPacersPodcast #TyreseHaliburton #BennedictMathurin #MylesTurner
Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
Hungryroot

Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place. Just go to Hungryroot.com/LOCKEDON, to get 40% off your first delivery and get your free veggies.

BetterHelp

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDONNBA today to get 10% off your first month.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNBA. Terms and conditions apply.

PrizePicks

Go to PrizePicks.com/lockedonnba and use code lockedonnba for a first deposit match up to $100!

Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.
FanDuel

Score early this NFL season with FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook! Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR MONEYLINE BET! That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – if your team wins! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)