The Milwaukee Bucks are limping into their final preseason game against the Indiana Pacers tonight, trying to find some kind of cohesion with an essentially brand new roster. This isn’t just another exhibition; it’s the last tune-up before things get real, and the Bucks have looked “up and down” all preseason. Seriously, 11 of their 19 rostered players weren’t even with the team at the start of last season. Coach Taylor Jenkins has his work cut out for him, scrambling to figure out rotations, especially after a brutal blowout loss to the Chicago Bulls that dropped them to a dismal 1-3 preseason record.
Pacers Are Rolling, and Haliburton Is the Reason Why
Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers are looking like a whole different beast than the squad that barely won 19 games last season. Remember that? They basically punted the season while franchise point guard Tyrese Haliburton recovered from a torn Achilles. Well, Haliburton is back, and the Pacers are expected to contend for postseason play, maybe even make it outright. They didn’t just sit still either, adding free agents Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr. to inject some much-needed depth and athleticism into Rick Carlisle’s signature up-tempo game. Even with a 1-2 preseason record themselves, Indiana has shown some flashes that scream “trouble” for opposing teams. They lit up the Minnesota Timberwolves with lights-out shooting across the board, hitting 53 percent from the field and three, plus 91 percent from the line. Aaron Nesmith went off for 7-of-9 from the field, and Jarace Walker dropped 10 assists, which nobody saw coming. Then they hung tough in a two-point loss to the Atlanta Hawks, where seven players hit double digits in scoring even though no one played more than 22 minutes. The most promising sign of all? In a two-point overtime loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Haliburton looked like his old self, pouring in 24 points and dishing three assists in just 18 minutes. This is basically the deep roster that went to the NBA Finals less than a year and a half ago, and for the Bucks, this all spells trouble.
Turner’s Tough Matchup and the Preseason Injury Scramble
Speaking of trouble, keep an eye on Myles Turner for the Bucks tonight. He really struggled against his old team last season, averaging only 10.3 points per game on rough .395/.280/.667 shooting splits. To make it worse, he actually totaled more turnovers (6) than assists against them. You know that’s gotta be eating at him. As for the injury report, it’s preseason chaos, right? It’s anyone’s guess who actually suits up. For the Bucks, Nate Ament is doubtful with an ankle issue. The Pacers have a longer list: Aaron Nesmith is out with a hamstring, Johnny Furphy is out with an ACL injury, and T.J. McConnell, Jarace Walker, and Andrew Nembhard are all questionable with undisclosed issues.
This is the final game before the regular season tips off, and it’s a critical one for Milwaukee to try and build some kind of chemistry. The Pacers are clearly on a mission, and the Bucks need to show *something* tonight if they want any confidence heading into games that actually matter.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Brew Hoop.
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