3 Game 1 factors that could be crucial in Game 2 between Bucks and Pacers

The 3-point drama between the Bucks and Pacers

The Pacers aren't a super high-volume 3-point shooting team, especially after the changes made at the NBA trade deadline, but the 8-of-37 success rate they had in Game 1 was pretty atrocious.

However, that didn't come out of nowhere. The Bucks forced their offense into non-ideal shots, with players like T.J. McConnell, Pascal Siakam or even Myles Turner being allowed to shoot way more than usual and others like Haliburton being more contained.

Indy still missed some really open threes, though, and you would assume they won't shoot 21.1 percent again. If a player like Aaron Nesmith, who is a 41.9 percent outside shooter but was 1-of-7 on Sunday, catches fire, the Bucks must be flexible enough to adjust their defense on the go and recognize there are some shots they can't keep living with. Are they capable of doing so?

In years prior, Mike Budenholzer was heavily criticized for his lack of adjustments in the playoffs, and teams getting into hot shooting streaks against Milwaukee became quite common and frustrating. They did a pretty good job to start the series, but that can't stop now, so they need to be ready if the Pacers come up with a different plan.

However, the team looked really trustworthy on this side of the court. Since Doc Rivers got to the team, the defense feels way more talkative. That communication leads to better switches and rotations, and the system doesn't seem as exploitable as it has in the past. And more importantly, they did focus on the main problem they had in the regular season games.

The Pacers can blame their poor offensive game on the bad shooting, but the truth is they didn't beat Milwaukee four times because of their 3-pointers. With a 30.5 percent success rate from three over those five matches, they actually shot poorly from behind the arc. Yet, they were menaces getting to the rim and scoring in the paint, which they couldn't do in Game 1.

They will probably be allowed to shoot from three on Tuesday. Will they be able to get these shots in better situations? And will they be able to make them? Time will tell.