Pacers seek to make Game 2 more difficult for Bucks as NBA playoff teams focus on defensive effort

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — After seeing Indiana's defense stifle the Milwaukee Bucks' shooters, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle made it clear to his team that it needs to be even better in Game 2.

Yes, even in an NBA era defined by pace, spacing and 3-point shooting on offense, Carlisle knows postseason success usually comes down to defense.

The Pacers' performance in Saturday's first-round playoff series opener looked better on paper than it apparently did to Carlisle.

Milwaukee made 9 of 37 3-pointers (24.3%) after leading the league at 38.7% during the regular season and finished 17 1/2 points below its scoring average despite getting 36 points and 12 rebounds from two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. The problem: Milwaukee's four other starters totaled 14 points and two of them failed to score.

“Giannis got to the basket too much,” Carlisle said after his team's 117-98 victory. “We're trying to build walls and he's still getting there. He's a great player and great players cause collateral problems, so it's not a surprise. We fouled them a lot, too, and we've got to cut down on the fouls.”

The message that good is not good enough seemed to catch on during the first weekend of the playoffs.

Houston, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, had a season low in scoring during an old-school, grind-it-out 95-85 loss to No. 7 Golden State on Sunday. The Warriors can take a 2-0 lead Wednesday — if they can replicate their defensive performance.

The West's top seed, Oklahoma City, put on a defensive clinic against Memphis in a 131-80 blowout Sunday. The Grizzlies shot 34.4% from the field, were 6 of 34 on 3s and committed 22 turnovers, prompting some observers to question Memphis' effort. Game 2 is Tuesday.

The solution, at least in the Bucks' case, sounds simple.

“We’ve just got to be more decisive with the ball. That’s pretty much it,” Antetokounmpo said Saturday. “When the ball gets to your hand, shoot the ball or create an opportunity to the advantage of the next player. If you don’t have a shot, that means you can get downhill and if you get downhill either you finish or you pass the ball.”

That's the beauty of these playoff chess matches.

With days off and sometimes multiple days off between games and the same matchups repeatedly playing out, coaches and players have ample time to practice, make adjustments, change assignments and switch strategies.

The intrigue in each successive contest, such as the Pacers-Bucks matchup Tuesday in Indianapolis, explains why Carlisle has been telling his team it will be “monumentally” more difficult to take a 2-0 lead than it was to win Game 1.

“I think the odds of them shooting that poorly from 3 probably aren’t that high as the series goes on,” Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton said. “I think we’ve done a great job of showing our pressure up on the floor. We’re just trying to keep flying around, making the extra effort because I feel like the basketball gods will reward you for the harder you play.”

Bucks coach Doc Rivers could get some help on that front if nine-time All-Star guard Damian Lillard returns. Lillard hasn't played since March 18 as he recovers from deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. He was upgraded to questionable on Monday.

A year ago, he averaged 31.3 points per game against Indiana in a first-round series that the Pacers won 4-2. Even if Lillard returns this week, his minutes may be limited.

The other solution: better defense.

“They're not going to give it to you, you've got to go out there and take it from them,” Antetokounmpo said. “For us to win the series, we've got to win on the road. So we've just got to figure out the way to win and the moment we watch film we'll figure it out.”

Center Myles Turner, the two-time league blocks champ and the Pacers' primary rim protector, concurs.

“Sometimes you've got to lose the battle to win the war,” he said when asked about defending Antetokounmpo. ”It’s playoff basketball, so it’s a matter of making it harder on them maybe than it was in the regular season or making it to their second or third options,”

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Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama, left, looks to shoot as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) and forward Chet Holmgren, right, defend during the first half in Game 1 of an NBA first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey, left, and Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein, right, chase the ball during the first half in Game 1 of an NBA first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney (5) blocks a shot by Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in Houston, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Indiana Pacers' Aaron Nesmith (23) and Milwaukee Bucks' Gary Trent Jr. (5) chase a loose ball as Bucks' AJ Green, right, and Bobby Portis (9) watch during the second half of a first-round NBA basketball playoff game, Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, left, dribbles as Indiana Pacers' Andrew Nembhard (2) defends during the first half of a first-round NBA basketball playoff game, Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Auckland was the first major city to ring in 2026 with a fireworks display launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, followed by a defiant celebration in Australia in the aftermath of its worst mass shooting.

South Pacific countries were the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks stuck midnight in Auckland 18 hours before the famous ball drop in New York’s Times Square. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks.

Australia’s east coast welcomed 2026 two hours after New Zealand. In Sydney, the country's largest city, celebrations were held under the pall of Australia’s worst mass shooting in almost 30 years. Two gunmen targeted a Hannukah celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, killing 15 and wounding 40.

A heavy police presence monitored the thousands who thronged to the waterfront to watch a fireworks show centered on the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Many officers openly carried rapid-fire rifles, a first for the annual event.

An hour before midnight, the massacre victims were commemorated with a minute of silence while images of a menorah were projected on the bridge pylons. The crowd was invited to show solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns urged Sydney residents not to stay away through fear, saying extremists would interpret smaller crowds at New Year’s Eve festivities as a victory.

“We have to show defiance in the face of this terrible crime and say that we’re not going to be cowered by this kind of terrorism,” he said.

In Indonesia, one of Australia’s nearest neighbors, cities scaled back festivities as a gesture of solidarity with communities devastated by floods and landslides that struck parts of Sumatra island a month ago, claiming more than 1,100 lives.

The capital, Jakarta, was not ringing in 2026 with its usual fanfare, choosing subdued celebrations with a program centered on prayers for victims, city Gov. Pramono Anung said last week.

Makassar Mayor Munafri Arifuddin urged residents of one of Indonesia’s largest cities to forgo parties, calling for prayer and reflection. "Empathy and restraint are more meaningful than fireworks and crowds,” he said.

Concerts and fireworks on Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali were canceled and replaced with a cultural arts event featuring traditional dances.

Hong Kong, too, was ringing in 2026 without the usual spectacle in the sky over iconic Victoria Harbor, after a massive fire in November killed at least 161 people.

The facades of eight landmarks were turning into giant countdown clocks presenting a three-minute light show at midnight.

Many parts of Asia welcome the new year by observing age-old traditions.

In Japan, crowds were gathering at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo for a bell striking at midnight. In the South Korean capital, Seoul, a bell tolling and countdown ceremony were being held at the Bosingak Pavilion.

Tourists and Berliners alike marked the end of 2025 by enjoying snowfall, taking selfies and making snowmen in front of the German capital's cathedral and the iconic Brandenburg Gate. The Berlin TV Tower was nearly invisible thanks to the falling flakes and fog.

Greece and Cyprus were ringing in 2026 by turning down the volume, replacing traditional fireworks with low-noise pyrotechnics, light shows and drone displays in capital cities. Low-noise fireworks avoid the explosive bursts that generate the loud cracks of traditional displays.

Officials in the countries said the change is intended to make celebrations more welcoming for children and pets, particularly animals sensitive to loud noise.

Police in New York City will have additional anti-terrorism measures at the Times Square ball drop, with “mobile screening teams” in search of suspicious activity. It is not in response to a specific threat, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

Zohran Mamdani will take office as mayor at the start of 2026. Two swearing-in ceremonies are planned, starting with a private ceremonial event around midnight in an old subway station.

Saaliq reported from New Delhi, India. Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report.

The police stand guard during the 2026 Taipei New Year's Party celebration in front of the Taipei City Government Building in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

People gather to celebrate the New Year at the Zojoji Buddhist temple, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025 in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A Buddhist prays in front of lanterns on New Year's Eve at the Jogye temple in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Fireworks burst over the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the New Year celebrations in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Swimmers enter the water during the traditional Sylvester swim at lake Moossee in Moosseedorf, Switzerland, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Anthony Anex/Keystone via AP)

A child poses for a photo with a prosperity decoration to welcome 2026 Year of the Horse, following the Chinese zodiac at a shopping district on new year's eve, in Beijing, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

A person walks by illuminated decorations on New Year's Eve in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Fireworks burst over the Sydney Harbour Bridge as New Year's celebrations begin in Sydney, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Fireworks burst over the Sydney Harbour Bridge as New Year's celebrations begin in Sydney, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora, hosts of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026," in New York at the New Year's Eve Times Square Ball on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

A vendor sells New Year's eve party goods at a market in downtown Lima, Peru, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)

A families pose for a photo with a prosperity decoration to welcome 2026 Year of the Horse, following the Chinese zodiac as people visit a shopping district on new year's eve, in Beijing, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

A child poses for a photo with a prosperity decoration to welcome 2026 Year of the Horse, following the Chinese zodiac at a shopping district on new year's eve, in Beijing, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)