The Pacers, who made the Eastern Conference finals a season ago, are led by Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. Siakam (20.2 points per game) was an All-Star in 2025, while Haliburton got better as the season progressed. He averaged 20.6 points and 11 assists per game after the All-Star break.

The No. 4 seed Pacers rolled out to a 67-43 halftime lead over the No. 5 seed Milwaukee Bucks and never looked back, cruising to a 117-98 victory and taking a 1-0 lead in their first-round series.