Pacers Rick Carlisle Brutally Honest About Facing Bucks in First-Round Rematch

Ricardo Klein | Apr 12, 2025

Oct 25, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle looks on in the second quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers will get set to face their division rivals and last year's first-round playoff opponent, the Milwaukee Bucks. 

This time around, the Pacers will host the Bucks, who just clinched the No. 4 seed in the East. The Bucks will start the series in Indianapolis as the No. 5 seed. 

This series is expected to not disappoint like last year. The Pacers will look for the same result this year. These two have thrown some jabs at each other over the years, and it's been fun to see these two duke it out. 

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle spoke on the upcoming first-round matchup after their win over the Orlando Magic on Friday. Carlisle said he is embracing the challenge and has praised the Bucks' top players, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. 

“They’re great. They’ve got one, two of the best players in the world,” Carlisle said. 

“We’re all too familiar with how lethal they are as a team. They’ve gotten better this year. They’ve got more depth, they’ve got more shooting.

“More size, better defense. Many challenges.”

Although the Pacers have home-court advantage in this series, they have struggled against the Bucks this season. Milwaukee beat Indiana in three of four matchups this season. 

The one time they came out on top, it was thanks to the Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton hit a Hail Mary three plus a foul to give the Pacers the lead and, ultimately, the win. 

The Pacers will have more work this season than last, as the Bucks' best player will enter this matchup healthy. Last season, that was not the case, as Antetokounmpo did not play in any games during the 2024 NBA playoffs due to a left calf strain. 

However, while Antetokounmpo is fine, the Bucks could be without Lillard. Lillard has not played in almost a month due to a blood clot in his right calf. 

While that is the case, Milwaukee will still be a handful, and they would love to get their revenge on Indiana this season. 

The winner of this matchup will have the chance to upset, most likely, the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round. But before either of these teams gets to that, they must get rid of their division opponent. 

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For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, visit Indiana Pacers on SI.