The Milwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers will go head-to-head with each other to clinch the coveted final spot in the inaugural NBA in-season tournament. Both teams are coming off huge victories and will look forward to continuing their hot form en route to the finals. The young core of Indiana pulled off one of the season’s biggest upsets by stunning the highly favoured Boston Celtics with a 122-112 win on Monday. Meanwhile, the Bucks overwhelmed the New York Knicks by posting season-high numbers to clinch a 146-122 win.

With a finals berth in line, both teams are expected to pull up with their A-game as they duke it out at the T-Mobile Arena tonight. As the Eastern Conference rivals gear up to put on an electrifying performance, let us, in the meantime, take a look at their expected starting lineups.

Predicted starting lineups for the in-season semifinal clash between Bucks and Pacers

During Milwaukee’s recent win against the Knicks, Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered an ankle injury. However, the Greek Freak continued to play through the injury and mustered up 35 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals to finish the game. Despite the injury, Giannis has confirmed that he is going to play tonight, and fortunately, he is off the injury report as well. That being said, the Bucks are expected to start the contest with their usual starting five of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, Malik Beasley, Khris Middleton and Damian Lillard. They are currently only monitoring two players on the injury list. The Bucks will miss the services of Pat Connaughton as he is dealing with a sprained right ankle. Jae Crowder will continue his absence as he tends to his left adductor and abdominal tear.

The Pacers will also enter the contest with a healthy set of core rotation players. Only Jalen Smith is ruled out due to a bone bruise and heel contusion. The Pacers are likely to go with their usual starting lineup – Obi Toppin, Bruce Brown, Myles Turner, Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield.

Tyrese Haliburton will give the Bucks a run for their money tonight

In their last meeting this season, the Pacers outsmarted the Bucks by just two points, with the final score reading 126-124. Even Giannis’ 54 points were not able to save the day for the Bucks. Therefore, the Pacers’ offensive firepower will give the Bucks a run for their money tonight. Tyrese Haliburton’s ascent this season will be a cause for concern. Haliburton has been performing like an MVP this season and is coming off a game in which he posted his first career triple-double of 26 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds.

Read More: Why the Pacers or the Pelicans Winning the In-Season Tournament Is More Meaningful Than the Lakers or the Bucks?

However, the Bucks’ form from the last game against the Knicks cannot be taken lightly either. If they can manage to replicate even a fraction of that form, they’ll have no problem taking care of the business.

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What are your predictions for tonight’s high-stakes in-season tournament semi-final clash? Let us know in the comments!