Doc Rivers does not sound fazed by his Milwaukee Bucks falling into a 0-2 hole to start the NBA playoffs.
On Tuesday, the Bucks lost to the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of their first-round series at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. The Pacers stormed out to a 15-point lead in the first quarter and never trailed in their 123-115 win.
During his postgame press conference, Rivers was asked about the Bucks’ slow start to the contest and the potential adjustments to be made ahead of Game 3. The veteran coach refused to tip his hand but expressed supreme confidence in his squad.
“We’ll just see,” said Rivers. “We have time. We have 48 hours. I’m not going to tell you what I’m doing right now. We’ll figure it out.
“But I’m very confident in this series. Very.”
One thing working in Rivers’ favor is the return of Bucks star Damian Lillard, who missed Game 1 due to a blood clot issue in his calf. Lillard understandably looked rusty in his first game back, scoring just 14 points on 4/13 shooting from the floor.
Lillard looked like himself late when he hit a clutch three-pointer to cut the deficit to two with 2:33 to play.
DAME'S TRIPLE CUTS IT TO JUST 2.
— NBA (@NBA) April 23, 2025
2 minutes to play on NBA TV 🍿 pic.twitter.com/9mb8OJYO7y
But the Pacers silenced their opponents the rest of the way, outscoring the Bucks 8-2 to close out the 123-115 win.
Rivers will need Lillard to look like his usual self if the Bucks hope to make it a series in Game 3.
