Off and ... we'll see

 Time now to check in with Your Indiana Pacers, on account of the NBA playoffs have begun and the Your Pacers opened yesterday with a thorough 117-98 fanny-warming of the Milwaukee Bucks. Pascal Siakam scored 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, Tyrese Halliburton parceled out a dozen assists with just one turnover, and ain't God good to Indiana? Ain't he though?

(Random William Miller Herschell reference. You're welcome.)

Anyway, Your Pacers put four of their five starters in double figures, bottomed 13 threes, shot 53 percent and outrebounded the Milwaukees. Myles Turner scored 19 points, cleared five boards and blocked four shots. Your Pacers led 67-43 at the break and never looked back.

However.

"Oh, here we go," you're saying now. "Why you gotta do this? Can't you just say 'Yay, Pacers'? Can't you let Pacers Nation bask for ONE LOUSY MINUTE in the W before you start in with the 'howevers'?"

OK, OK. One minute. Go.

(Brief 60-second pause in today's post)

Satisfied now? 

Good, because all I mean by "however" is the NBA playoffs outlast entire epochs of human existence, and stuff tends to happen. Momentum is a chimera in sports, we all know that, but it seems especially true in the NBA. You don't have to search very hard for proof; it's as close to hand as the Pacers in last year's playoffs, when they played like kings one game and like beheaded kings the next. 

And so, yes, yesterday was a good start, but a start is all it is. In Game 2 tomorrow, Giannis Antetokoumpo, who scored 36 of the 50 points put up by Milwaukee's starters, might actually get some help. Kyle Kuzma, who didn't score a point in Game 1, could go for 20 this time. Brook Lopez, who had a quiet nine-point, four-rebound night, could got for a double-double. Siakam could miss 10 of 15 instead of making 10 of 15.

Or, you know, not.

Your Pacers could continue to pound the wounded Bucks, who are playing without Damian Lillard. It could be 2-0 for the good guys heading north to Milwaukee. Siakam could go off again; Halliburton, who scored just 10 points in Game 1, could put up a 30-spot; Giannis could come down with a bum back from carrying everyone else.

It's platinum-grade trite to say you just never know. But you just never know.

Which is what makes the NBA playoffs so compelling despite their seeming endlessness. You can be off and running one night. And a couple nights later?

Well. We'll see.