As they prepare to get the second half of the season underway against the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night, the Indiana Pacers currently own the No. 4 seed in the East. However, it is a tight spot as they are only five games ahead of the No. 9 seed Miami Heat. Furthermore, their division rivals, the Milwaukee Bucks, are only one game behind the Pacers.
With the Bucks breathing down their necks, the Pacers must continue their push into the second half of the season and the playoffs. Fortunately for them, this just got a lot easier with the latest news surrounding the Bucks.
The NBA has suspended Bobby Portis for 25 games
On Thursday, NBA insider Chris Haynes broke the news that Bucks big man Bobby Portis has been suspended for 25 games for taking a banned substance. Since the Bucks only have 29 games remaining, Portis will miss close to the rest of the regular season.
BREAKING: Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. to be suspended 25 games for taking a banned substance, sources tell me. #haynesbriefs
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 20, 2025
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Though he is not the Bucks' MVP, Portis is still a valuable player for the team and is one of the best bench players in the league. Additionally, the Bucks traded Khris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma at the trade deadline. As Haynes mentions, the Bucks were hoping to build on cohesion and chemistry the rest of the way. With Portis' suspension, this will be incredibly difficult for Milwaukee.
Portis' suspension helps the Pacers both directly and indirectly. Both teams go head-to-head two more times this season (March 11 and March 15) and Portis will be out for both of those games. On the other hand, the Bucks being without one of their key contributors for a significant amount of time bodes well for the Pacers as it makes one of their top competitors weaker.
With Portis out for a while, the Pacers now have a good opportunity extend their lead over the Bucks in the standings. Additionally, if they can land a top-four seed in the East, they will secure home-court advantage. This would be a huge help for Indiana in their quest for a title.
The Pacers have not technically had home-court advantage in the playoffs since 2020 (though everybody knows this does not truly count because of the Bubble). Before that, it had been since 2014, when the Pacers earned the No. 1 seed and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Though the Portis news is good for Indiana, they still have to do their part. With the second half of the season underway, the Pacers must prove they are title contenders, and they only have 29 games to do so.