Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 104-86 loss to Indiana Pacers
For their second preseason game, the Milwaukee Bucks put on an uninspired performance against the Indiana Pacers, losing 104-86.
Facing off against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, the Milwaukee Bucks looked more like a team trying to find their footing in preseason as they lost 104-86.
Admittedly, the final score might not give the Bucks’ performance justice as they trailed for significant deficits at times during the night and they held their one and only lead for a grand total of 30 seconds to open the game.
Heading into the night without star Giannis Antetokounmpo, second-year player Thon Maker and Matthew Dellavedova, the Bucks were once again short handed, even under the banner of it being preseason.
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Whereas the modified starters mostly held their own without the team’s star in their first preseason game earlier in the week, the Bucks looked every bit a team without their best player to rely on when the going got tough.
From the beginning to the end of the game, the Bucks’ offense teetered between running through the motions and being careless as they struggled to take care of the ball, which only made a potential comeback more unlikely.
Those factors were all to the benefit of the Pacers, who looked incredibly sharp and were rarely under pressure, save for a stretch or two early in the second quarter.
With very few positives to hang their hat on, the loss brings the Bucks to 0-2 on the preseason and only two more games remain before things truly start to count. Just like after the loss to Dallas, every part of the team’s performance should be prefaced with the fact that it’s preseason basketball, no matter how disappointing their performance looked and what the final result ultimately was.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at who stood out and the many factors that worked against the Bucks on Wednesday night.