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Bucks vs. Pacers: Is It Really A Rivalry Now?

The Milwaukee Bucks have been one of the most consistent threats in the Eastern Conference over the past decade, but do they have a new team to worry about going forward in order to make it back to the NBA Finals?

Cody Smith

Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) holds the ball while Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) defends during a 2024 NBA playoff game.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) holds the ball while Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) defends during a 2024 NBA playoff game. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
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MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The last time we saw the Milwaukee Bucks on an NBA court, they did so having left Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in disgust after a 120-98 defeat to the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Simply put, without Giannis Antetokounmpo’s presence on the court, the Bucks were doomed from the start against their Central division rivals, which ultimately left them to fall in the first round in six games.

The 4-2 series loss to Indiana marked the second straight season the Bucks failed to make it out of the first round, and the third straight season they've failed to advance beyond the second-round of the playoffs after last winning the NBA title in 2021.

Last season's postseason battle against Indiana featured plenty of intensity and trash talk given that five of the six playoff games ended in blowout fashion by 13 points or more. In fact, only one of the six games — Game 3 when the Pacers claimed a 121-118 home victory — ended in single-digits.

And now that the 2024-25 NBA season is finally upon us, it's time to ask the obvious question. Should to Bucks consider the Pacers a rival now?

Let's take a look at just how big of a rivalry this matchup has become as of late.

Outside of the playoff matchup that ended in Milwaukee's misfortune, the Bucks have recently struggled against the Pacers, potentially citing a new rivalry in the making.

During five regular season matchups against Indiana during last season, the Bucks seemed to have their hands full as they lost four of five matchups, including the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament semifinal that kept Milwaukee from competing against the Los Angeles Lakers for the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament championship.

One could argue the rivalry started to blossom at the tail end of their second matchup during the regular season, which happened to be the In-Season Tournament semifinal loss on Dec. 7.

With a chance to punch a ticket to the In-Season Tournament title game on the line, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton drilled a 3-pointer in the final minute and mocked Damian Lillard's 'Dame Time' celebration after he hit the shot to seal the Bucks' fate.

From that point on, things only got more feisty. The following week when the two met up again for the third time on Dec. 13 a heated exchange between Antetokounmpo and Haliburton ensued following a 14-point win by the Bucks that saw Antetokounmpo set a new career-high with 64 points.

The exchange stemmed from the Pacers taking the game ball away from Giannis and the Bucks after his historic night, where he broke the franchise scoring record.

The animosity carried over into their first-round postseason matchup, and was most evident by the opening minutes of Game 4 with Indiana clinging onto a 2-1 series lead.

Within the first 6:59 of game action of Game 4, the officials called five technical fouls, two of which were called on Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis. He was ejected, something the shorthanded Bucks didn't need.

Going forward, there is no denying the fact these two teams are not fond of each other. The tensions have helped kickstart a new rivalry in the East.

With the Bucks dynamic trio consisting of Antetokounmpo, Lillard and Khris Middleton all set to come into this season healthy, the Bucks will look to be the one's who flip the script on their Central division rivals this upcoming season.

The teams are scheduled to meet four times during the 82-game regular season. The first meeting is on Nov. 22 in Milwaukee, and then there are games in Indianapolis on Dec. 31 and March 11. The final meeting is March 15 in Milwaukee.

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Cody Smith
CODY SMITH

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