Pascal Siakam had 24 points and 11 rebounds and Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points and 12 assists to lead the Indiana Pacers past the Milwaukee Bucks 123-115 on Tuesday night for a 2-0 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Indiana has won five of the last six playoff games between the teams and never trailed in this one. The Pacers had lost three of four regular-season games to the Bucks. The teams will meet for the 18th time in the last two seasons on Friday, when Game 3 is played in Milwaukee.

Two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 18 rebounds and seven assists, and All-NBA guard Damain Lillard had 14 points in his first game back from deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. Lillard was 4 of 13 from the field in 37 minutes, his first game action since March 18 and his first playoff game with Antetokounmpo, who heard a steady diet of countdowns on his free throws.

Bobby Portis Jr. finished with 28 points, including six 3-pointers, and 12 rebounds for the Bucks.

The game had a little bit of everything. There was a scuffle in front of the Pacers bench that led to double technical fouls, words between multiple players in the final minutes, players repeatedly hitting the floor, a little zone defense, a smattering of full-court pressure and, of course, plenty of points.

But, Indiana controlled the entire game after racing to a 31-16 lead in less than 7 1/2 minutes. The Bucks used a late 13-0 run to get within 115-113 with 2:31 to go before Indiana closed it out with an 8-2 run to end the game.

Thunder 118, Grizzlies 99: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 27 points, and Oklahoma dominated Memphis to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Jalen Williams added 24 points and Chet Holmgren had 20 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks for the Thunder.

Oklahoma City delivered a strong follow-up to its record-setting 131-80 win on Sunday in the series opener. The Thunder have won all six games against the Grizzlies this season by double digits.

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 26 points and Ja Morant added 23 for Memphis, which will host Game 3 on Thursday.

Celtics’ Tatum doubtful for Game 2: Boston forward Jayson Tatum has been listed as doubtful with a bone bruise in his right wrist for Game 2 of Boston’s Eastern Conference first-round series against the Orlando Magic today. Tatum’s designation was listed on the injury report released Tuesday. He injured the wrist in the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ 103-86 victory on Sunday.

With Boston leading 89-73 with 8:28 remaining, Tatum went up for a dunk and was hit hard by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as he tried to block it. Tatum landed awkwardly on his right side.

He stayed down briefly before eventually rising to his feet, clenching his right hand. After a video review by referees, Caldwell-Pope’s foul was upgraded to a flagrant foul. Tatum subsequently missed the two ensuing free throws but remained in the game. He finished with 17 points, but was 8-of-22 from the field in 40 minutes of action.

Tatum said a postgame X-ray came back clean.

Boston’s Pritchard named sixth man of the year: Payton Pritchard came off the bench and changed games for the Boston Celtics this season.

He was the only player in the NBA with more than 1,000 points in games that he didn’t start. He set the league record for 3-pointers made by a backup. And the voters took notice of all that and more, picking the Celtics guard as the league’s sixth man of the year this season.

Pritchard topped Detroit’s Malik Beasley and Cleveland’s Ty Jerome for the award. It’s the fifth time that a Celtics player won the award: Kevin McHale claimed it in 1984 and 1985, Bill Walton in 1986 and Malcolm Brogdon won it in 2023.

“This is definitely an honor,” Pritchard said during TNT’s broadcast Tuesday night when the results were revealed.

The awards are voted on by a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the league.

Pritchard led all reserves in points (1,079 in the games in which he did not start), 3-pointers (246, not including nine more he made in his three games as a starter), along with plus-minus (+428). And among nonstarters, his assist total of 257 ranked third-best in the league behind only Indiana’s T.J. McConnell and Portland’s Scoot Henderson.

Timberwolves’ Edwards fined: Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards has been fined $50,000 for directing inappropriate language and making an obscene gesture toward a fan during a playoff game against the Lakers, NBA president of league operations Byron Spruell announced Tuesday.

Edwards intervened when teammate Rudy Gobert was being heckled in the third quarter of the Timberwolves’ 117-95 win in Game 1 of their first-round series on Saturday in Los Angeles. Edwards, standing along the sideline, told the nearby fan how many millions of dollars Gobert has. The exchange ended with Edwards making a lewd gesture and comment.