"Andrew Nembhard" - Tyrese Haliburton dishes crisp response when asked about containing Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard was the talk of the town heading into Game 2 of the first-round series between the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks. Lillard was cleared to play after missing a month of action due to a blood clot in his calf. However, the Pacers were able to slow him down in the second half to take a 2-0 lead.

Speaking to NBA TV's Nabil Karim after the game, Tyrese Haliburton had a simple response when asked about the adjustments they made defensively. Lillard had 11 points in the first half but only scored three points in the second as the Bucks lost 123-115.

"Andrew Nembhard," Haliburton said.

Tyrese Haliburton also praised his backcourt partner's performance offensively. Andrew Nembhard finished the game with 17 points, three rebounds and six assists, scoring five points in the fourth quarter. It was a total team effort for the Indiana Pacers as they took a 2-0 series lead heading to Milwaukee for Games 3 and 4.

Haliburton had 21 points, five rebounds and 12 assists, while Pascal Siakam had a team-high 23 points plus 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals. Aaron Nesmith added 16 points, while Myles Turner contributed 15 points, two rebounds and two blocks.

On the other hand, Damian Lillard had a total of 14 points, three rebounds and seven assists on 4-for-13 shooting. Lillard played without restrictions, as he was on the court for almost 37 minutes. Bobby Portis had a huge fourth quarter, scoring 11 of 28 points off the bench.

Giannis Antetokounmpo also had a huge game, putting up 34 points, 18 rebounds and 17 assists on 14-for-20 shooting. "The Greek Freak" has done everything he can to keep the Bucks afloat, but they were still no match for the Pacers down the stretch.

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Damian Lillard points out the problem in their Game 2 loss

Damian Lillard points out the problem in their Game 2 loss. (Photo: IMAGN)

Despite the loss in Game 2, Damian Lillard being back on the court was great news for the Milwaukee Bucks and NBA fans. Lillard was able to recover in time to help the Bucks in their quest to have a postseason run.

However, the Bucks will need to make some adjustments and improvements when the series returns to Milwaukee. Lillard pointed out after the game that it's all about communication, and the entire team should be able to communicate on the court all the time.

"If there's a miscommunication, or two guys or one guy doesn't say anything, and two people go with somebody cutting, you leave a guy on the perimeter for an open shot," Lillard said, according to CBS Sports. "When you switch a lot, it leaves a lot of room for those type of things to happen. I thought that was our main issue."

Game 3 of the series is scheduled for an 8 p.m. tipoff on Friday at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.