For the second year in a row, the Indiana Pacers will begin their playoff run against the Milwaukee Bucks. Last season, the Pacers eliminated the Bucks in six games in the opening round, and they will hope for the same result this time around.
As the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds, respectively, the Pacers and Bucks are relatively even in their matchup. They both have their own advantages and disadvantages, and the series could realistically go either way.
A lot has already been said about the Pacers not receiving their well-deserved respect on the national level, and that has not changed at all with the beginning of the playoffs looming. Still, the Pacers are a threat in the playoffs and will have an opportunity to prove they are contenders against Milwaukee. However, they do have one clear disadvantage, though it ultimately may not even matter.
The Pacers have to overcome one major disadvantage
The Pacers got off to a slow start to the season before drastically turning things around in 2025. As one of the hottest teams in the new year, the Pacers proved that they are one of the top teams in the league, and their No. 4 seed finish established that. However, the one major knock on them is that they do not have a superstar. They have a lot of important players (Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner, especially), but none of them are considered stars.
As for the Bucks, they have Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard (if he returns in the playoffs from his blood clot), who are both considered stars. Because of this, many consider the Bucks the favorites over Indiana. While it is debatable to say they will win the series for sure, the Bucks do have a clear advantage with how top-heavy they are. As history would suggest, the team with the best player typically wins the series. However, this may not be one of those times.
Despite what label the Pacers' top players may deserve, the team is playing some of the best basketball they have in a long time, and they have their own advantages over Milwaukee. Additionally, while they did get swept by the Boston Celtics last year, the Pacers were able to give the eventual champions a run for their money despite not having a "superstar."
When they are clicking on all cylinders, the Pacers are a scary team to go up against, and they have constantly proven that they are not afraid of the challenge and can rise to the occasion. The Bucks may have the bigger names, but the Pacers are a team that can thrive as the underdogs, and they will have a great opportunity to prove this in the playoffs.