In the midseason semifinals, the Bucks lost 119-126 to the Pacers and missed the finals. Despite the loss, the players will still receive $100,000 in prize money for reaching the semifinals. This season, the Bucks have lost to the Pacers twice. The last time he faced the Pacers, despite not playing Lillard, he still put on an extraordinary performance, scoring 54 points and 12 rebounds to lose 124-126. However, the Bucks are currently firmly in second place in the East with a 15-7 record, while the Pacers have moved up to sixth in the East with a 12-8 record.
The Pacers emerged as the dark horses of the midseason, with a 4-0 unbeaten record in the group stage and back-to-back knockout stages against the Celtics and Bucks. In the game against the Celtics, the double tanhua both cut 30+, but finally failed. Against the Bucks, Antetokounmpo and Lillard combined for 61 points and 17 rebounds, which also ended in failure. The main reason why the Celtics and Bucks were eliminated was largely due to Haliburton's excellent performance. In those two games, Haliburton combined 63 points, 17 rebounds and 28 assists without a single turnover.
At the critical moment of the game, he frequently hit key balls, which directly determined the outcome of the game. He played well throughout the game, playing 40 minutes, shooting 19-of-13, 0-of-1 from three-point range, 11-of-13 from the free-throw line, and scoring a game-high 37 points plus 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. In contrast, Lillard was in average form, playing 41 minutes, shooting 20 of 7, 9 of 4 three-pointers, and 6 free throws, scoring 24 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal and 1 block, with a plus/minus of +6. Despite his low shooting percentage, Lillard was hot in the third quarter, scoring 16 points on a three-pointer in a single quarter, which once helped the Bucks overtake the score.
In addition, Lopez made an excellent contribution on the defensive end, playing 37 minutes, shooting 7-of-17, 10-of-3 three-pointers, and 3-of-1 free throws, contributing 18 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 blocks, but also had 1 turnover and 5 fouls, with a plus/minus of -3.