Caution! Deer X-ing. For the ninth consecutive year, the Milwaukee Bucks have punched their ticket to the playoffs. As they renew their hunt for the team’s first title since the 2021 season, the 2024 NBA Cup champions are looking to add another piece of hardware to the trophy cabinet for the 2024-25 season. Led by MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo and with a refreshed energy from recently returned big man Bobby Portis, the talented roster of wily vets and exciting youngsters looks poised to make a run at the ultimate prize, the Larry O’Brien trophy. After 82 games, the stage is set. The matchup’s locked. The Deer run is underway. With our playoff guide, you’ll have everything you need to prep for this year’s playoffs. Just remember, Bucks in Six. Always.
Matchup: Indiana Pacers (50-32)
The past two years have ignited this Midwestern matchup into a fierce rivalry that has a little bit of everything. A rematch of the 2024 series that saw the Bucks tamely ushered out of the playoffs in six games, with both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dame Lillard sidelined due to injury, and a season series that had more than a little spice to it, another run-in with the Pacers just makes sense.
Led by Wisconsin native Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers have had an up-and-down season. Winning their past six games, the team from Indianapolis is heading into the postseason riding a hot streak. Headlined by Haliburton (No. 3 in assists-per-game) and Miles Turner (No. 2 in the NBA in blocks-per-game), the Pacers like to spread the love, with seven players averaging over 10 points-per-game. At the top of this list is Pascal Siakam, whose size and athleticism make him a dynamic scoring threat. The Buck stops here, though, as Milwaukee looks to put the Pacers in their rearview mirror for good and advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
Schedule
Game 1 - Bucks: 98 @ Pacers: 117, Indiana leads series 1-0
Game 2 - Bucks: 115 @ Pacers: 123, Tuesday, Indiana leads series 2-0
Game 3 - Pacers: 101 vs. Bucks: 117, Indiana leads series 2-1
Game 4 - Pacers: 129 vs. Bucks: 103, Indiana leads series 3-1
Game 5 - Bucks @ Pacers, April 29 at 5 p.m.
Game 6* - Pacers vs. Bucks, May 2
Game 7* - Bucks @ Pacers, TBD
* - If necessary
Where to watch
Stay tuned for the Bucks’ playoff TV schedule! We'll update this section as the TV schedule is announced.
- Game 2: NBA TV and FanDuel Sports Network - Wisconsin
- Game 3: NBA TV and ESPNU
- Game 4: TNT and FanDuel Sports Network - Wisconsin
- Game 5: NBA TV and FanDuel Sports Network - Wisconsin
Food & Beer Pairing: The Pacer
How about a little fun to go with the games? Can you really enjoy playoff basketball without an ice-cold beer in your hand and a bite from a local restaurant in your belly? We present our first-round pairing, the Pacer. A combination of velocity and quality that can’t be rushed, this pairing moves at its own pace.
Beer: High Speed Wit, Cafe Hollander
We’ve got the need. The need for speed that only the High Speed Wit can satisfy. This beer sets the tempo high with an easy drinkability and flavors of orange, lemon, yeast, a dash of cinnamon and just the right creaminess that makes it a crushable favorite at every Lowlands Group location. Pace yourself, though! It is a seven-game series, after all.
Food: Doc’s Commerce Smokehouse Brisket
You can’t hurry perfection. Just ask any pitmaster. Doc’s Smokehouse, located just a few blocks from Fiserv Forum, is where you’ll find this hickory-smoked delicacy. The mouthwatering meat doesn’t need sauce, but you’re welcome to dress it up any way you like, with a variety of BBQ sauces, ranging from Carolina to Texas to Kansas City and beyond. The perfect counterbalance to the up-tempo High Speed Wit, Doc’s brisket invites you to slow things down and even out the pace as you cheer the Deer to a postseason victory.
Gear up for the Game
Cheer the Deer in the gear. Show off your fandom and wear your heart on your sleeve with Bucks and Milwaukee merch at these local retailers. Gear up and get in the game today!
