Contents
The Milwaukee Bucks (49-36, 44-40-1 ATS) are hosting the Indiana Pacers (52-32, 39-44-1 ATS) in Game 3 of their first round NBA playoff series on Friday night; check out how to watch the free live stream below. NBA betting sites show the Bucks as 5.5-point favorites at home, per BetOnline odds.
How To Watch Pacers vs. Bucks Game 3 Free Live Stream
Pacers vs. Bucks Injuries
Indiana Pacers Injury Report
SF Isaiah Jackson (Achilles; out for the season)
Milwaukee Bucks Injury Report
PF Tyler Smith (ankle; questionable)
Game Preview
The Indiana Pacers visit the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference first round with a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. In Game 2, Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points and 12 assists for Indiana.
“I credit our guys a lot. [The Bucks] threw a hellacious punch,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “Pascal hit as big of a shot as you’re gonna see in the playoffs on the right wing.”
The Pacers and Bucks have now met six times this season and are an even 3-3 after Milwaukee won the regular season series 3-1. Dating back to their first-round series a year ago, Indiana has won six of the last eight playoff matchups, including three in a row.
As for the Bucks, they went down fighting in Game 2 before Indiana finished off a 123-115 victory. Milwaukee trailed by as many as 16 but brought it within 115-113 with 2:33 to go.
Milwaukee hopes to improve defensively at home for Game 3 on Friday before Game 4 on Sunday night.
“When we got to get a stop, we did not get a stop. Those are the plays to me that are really breaking us,” said Bucks coach Doc Rivers. “It was our inability to contain the ball off the dribble.”
In Game 2, Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 34 points, 18 rebounds, and seven assists. Bobby Portis added 28 points and 12 boards off the bench while Damian Lillard, playing for the first time in 15 games due to a blood clot in his right calf, recorded 14 points and seven assists in 37 minutes of action.
According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, the Bucks have a 55.3% chance of defeating Indiana in Game 3. The Pacers are 9-1 in their past 10 games, while Milwaukee is 5-11 in its last 16 games played on a Friday.