Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 109-96 loss to Indiana Pacers

The Milwaukee Bucks were flattered by a 13-point deficit as they were picked apart by the Indiana Pacers on Monday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Those who might have missed the game and just checked the final score could be forgiven for thinking this was just any other loss for the Milwaukee Bucks. In truth, it was much worse than that.

After impressing with a dominant win over the Indiana Pacers at the Bradley Center last week, the Bucks were always going to face a tougher test on the road against a Pacers team bolstered by the returning Victor Oladipo.

Unfortunately, it never seemed like the Bucks were interested in taking on that challenge, as their sluggish play allowed the Pacers to build a commanding lead from the opening tip.

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The Bucks trailed by 21 points after the first quarter and that deficit was further increased by five points in the second quarter, before Milwaukee showed some sign of functioning offensively in the third period.

It was really only when Jason Kidd pulled his starters and allowed his bench to get some burn that the Bucks showed any signs of life. Sterling Brown and Sean Kilpatrick both made excellent cases for bigger roles in the rotation, while also begging the question of why they weren’t introduced earlier.

Overall, this was a game to forget for the Bucks. Before we can move on to the upcoming slate of games, let’s take a look at what the Bucks should be taking from Monday’s loss.