INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The NBA Playoffs return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the first time since spring 2019.

The Indiana Pacers will take on the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 3 of round 1 Friday evening.

The team announced on social media that the game will be a “gold out,” encouraging fans to wear the color and pack the arena. Fans attending the game will receive a free “Indy is Back” yellow shirt to fit the theme.

To celebrate the team’s return to the postseason, Bicentennial Unity Plaza will host a pregame party for fans with tickets.

The party includes a live DJ, face painting, and basketball, it runs from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Vice President of External Affairs and Corporate Communication Danny Lopez says celebrations like these are exactly why they build the amenity.

“If you need an excuse on a Friday afternoon to get out of work a little early, this is it,” Lopez said. “[It gives] the downtown an amenity like this that is connected to the fieldhouse and that we could program on a night like tonight, which is so special.”

It’s been a monumental year for basketball in the Circle City.

This series comes as the Pacers finished as runner-ups in the league’s inaugural In-season Tournament, Indianapolis played host to the NBA All-Star Game and the Indiana Fever’s first overall pick in Caitlin Clark.

“We’ve had such a great run so far,” Lopez said. “People are excited about the team and they’re ready to go. It’s going to be a capacity crowd.”

Back in 2019, the venue was still called Banker’s Life Fieldhouse. During that series, the Pacers were swept by the Boston Celtics in the First Round.

The team also made the playoffs in 2020. They were swept yet again by eventual runner-ups the Miami Heat in the NBA bubble.

This year is already different. Round One is tied up against the Bucks with the teams splitting both games in Milwaukee.

Lopez said you can feel the energy in the front office and around town.

“This is why you come to work in a place like this,” Lopez said. “This is what fans love about being a Pacers fan, a Fever fan, and a basketball fan in Indiana where it just means a little bit more. So people are excited. We’re excited to deliver a great product tonight.”

Doors to Gainbridge Fieldhouse open at 4 p.m. with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 p.m.