INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers made it look easy — until it wasn’t — but still closed out a win to take a 2-0 lead in their playoff series with the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Pacers scored the first eight points of Game 2 and built a 10-point lead on the Bucks after the first quarter Tuesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Indiana kept their foot on the gas in the second quarter, leading 68-60 at halftime.

The Pacers led by as many as 16 points and by as much as 15 at several points of the fourth quarter, but the Bucks cut the lead to two on a Damian Lillard 3-pointer with 2:33 remaining. Indiana responded with a six-point burst to get the lead back to eight, then closed it out from there.

Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 24 points as six players scored in double figures in the win.

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series shifts to Milwaukee, tipping off Friday night at 8 p.m. 

Antetokounmpo 14-20 6-10 34, Kuzma 5-10 2-2 12, Lopez 3-6 0-0 8, Lillard 4-13 4-5 14, Prince 2-4 0-0 6, Portis 11-19 0-1 28, Porter Jr. 4-9 0-0 9, Sims 0-0 0-0 0, Green 0-2 0-0 0, Trent Jr. 1-4 1-1 4. Totals 44-87 13-19 115.

Nesmith 5-9 2-2 16, Siakam 8-16 6-6 24, Turner 6-10 2-2 15, Haliburton 8-19 2-2 21, Nembhard 6-10 2-2 17, Toppin 3-4 0-0 7, Walker 1-4 0-0 3, Bryant 0-0 0-0 0, Mathurin 4-10 5-5 14, McConnell 3-8 0-0 6. Totals 44-90 19-19 123.

Milwaukee  30  30  27  28  —  115

Indiana  40  28  31  24  —  123

3-Point Goals: Milwaukee 14-35 (Portis 6-11, Prince 2-3, Lopez 2-4, Lillard 2-8, Porter Jr. 1-2, Trent Jr. 1-3, Green 0-1, Kuzma 0-3), Indiana 16-36 (Nesmith 4-5, Nembhard 3-5, Haliburton 3-10, Siakam 2-5, Toppin 1-2, Walker 1-2, Turner 1-3, Mathurin 1-4). 

Rebounds: Milwaukee 43 (Antetokounmpo 18), Indiana 38 (Siakam 11). 

Assists: Milwaukee 26 (Antetokounmpo, Lillard 7), Indiana 30 (Haliburton 12). 

Total Fouls: Milwaukee 19, Indiana 19. 

Attendance: 17,274 (20,000)