Doc Rivers, Bucks Criticized by Fans in G1 Rout by Pacers Despite Giannis' 36 Points

The Indiana Pacers demolished the Milwaukee Bucks 117-98 in Game 1 of their NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Saturday.

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo posted 36 points on 14-of-23 shooting and 12 rebounds, but the rest of the starters—Kyle Kuzma, Brook Lopez, Taurean Prince and Ryan Rollins—combined for 14 points on 5-of-20 shooting.

Kuzma in particular struggled, going scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting and failing to amass any other statistic outside two personal fouls.

The starters' performances minus Antetokounmpo ultimately set the tone for a game where Indiana held a 67-43 halftime edge and once led by 28 points.

Indiana also featured six players scoring in double digits, with Pascal Siakam's 25 points leading the way alongside a well-rounded game from Tyrese Haliburton (10 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds).

The Milwaukee bench fared far better, with AJ Green (15 points), Gary Trent Jr. (14 points), Kevin Porter Jr. (12 points, five rebounds, five assists) and Bobby Portis (four points but eight rebounds) all playing well.

That led to fans questioning head coach Doc Rivers regarding his lineup choices. All four starters minus Antetokounmpo, despite their struggles, played between 19-22 minutes. By the time the Bucks turned to their reserves in the second half, it was too little and too late.

Of course, the Bucks began this series significantly shorthanded with nine-time All-Star guard Damian Lillard recovering from deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. Per ESPN's Shams Charania, Lillard is expected back in Game 2 or 3.

But fans were left wondering what might have been had Rivers made different lineup choices Saturday, with some others lamenting him on the sidelines.

Indiana will now host Milwaukee for Game 2 on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.