The Milwaukee Bucks, now 4-2 after losing to the Sacramento Kings, return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse tonight to play the 1-5 Indiana Pacers for the first time since being knocked out of last year’s NBA Playoffs by them. Meanwhile, after losing their first five games, the Pacers notched their first win of the season on Saturday, beating the Golden State Warriors 114-109. Tonight’s matchup also marks Myles Turner’s first game against the Pacers since signing with the Bucks during free agency. Needless
to say, emotions will be high.
Where We’re At
Inspiring double-digit wins against the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors to open a three-game home stand had the Bucks feeling and looking good, but Saturday’s loss to the Kings has taken some of the wind out of their sails. After a scorching start against the Kings, the Bucks got too comfortable. They struggled to stop anything the Kings did offensively—then compounded this by conceding back-breaking offensive rebounds at crucial junctures. This loss—and Kevin Porter Jr.’s injury—aside, there’s a lot to be impressed with by the Bucks thus far. Ryan Rollins continues his ascension into legitimate NBA starter (or is it star?)—21.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 7.0 APG, and 2.3 SPG over the last four games—and AJ Green, Kyle Kuzma, and Bobby Portis have recently stepped up to supplement Giannis’ offensive output. They might be short on top-end talent, but this team’s depth is for real.
There’s no way to sugarcoat things for the Indiana Pacers, who have experienced a rough start to the season. Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles tear in last season’s NBA Finals was always going to make this year a tough one for the Pacers, but they’re looking more like a MASH unit than the team many expected to continue to defy expectations under the wizardry of head coach Rick Carlisle. Starters Benedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard have both missed time, as have key reserves Obi Toppin and T.J. McConnell, along with a number of other players. In fact, the Pacers have been so harshly hit by injury—especially in the backcourt—that they waived former second overall pick James Wiseman in order to make space for three-time dunk champion Mac McClung. With Wiseman’s departure and both Isiah Jackson and offseason acquisition Jay Huff struggling, perhaps Pacers fans and brass alike have come to realise just what they had in Turner after all. On the positive side, forever underrated All-Star Pascal Siakam continues to play at a high level, averaging 25.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 4.8 APG, and 1.3 SPG, and the additional playing time for youngsters like Jarace Walker and Johnny Furphy will only pay dividends in the long run. The win against Golden State also saw a slump-busting performance by Aaron Nesmith (31 points, five threes), who had been shooting the ball at under 30% from the field, and a breakout game by journeyman-turned-starting-point-guard Quenton Jackson (25 points, six boards, 10 assists). So, despite their record, the Bucks absolutely cannot take the Pacers lightly.
Injury Report
For the Bucks, Giannis is probable (left knee; patellar tendinopathy), while Kevin Porter Jr. remains out with his right knee meniscus injury.
The Pacers are without Andrew Nembhard (shoulder), Obi Toppin (foot), Bennedict Mathurin (toe), Kam Jones (back), T.J. McConnell (hamstring), and Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles). Johnny Furphy is probable (left foot; bone bruise), while RayJ Dennis is questionable with a lower back sprain.
Player To Watch
Myles Turner played 10 seasons in Indiana, averaging 14.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.3 APG, and 2.2 BPG. He twice led the league in blocks, finishing top-10 in Defensive Player of the Year voting in both of those years, and has his name littered throughout the franchise record books. In addition to holding the franchise record for career blocked shots, Turner ranks sixth in games played, fourth in three pointers made, and ninth in rebounds. Yet, despite all of this, Turner has been at best criticised and at worst vilified by Pacers fans since choosing the Bucks in free agency. The immediate reaction is understandable, but four months on? Come on. And so how he’ll be received in person—cheers or boos—remains very much in question, though anything less than a tribute video will only add gunpowder to what is already a very explosive matchup. All things considered, maybe that’s actually the best outcome, and we can finally quash the tired “NBA rivalries are dead” refrain that lingers in collective NBA consciousness.
For Milwaukee, Turner has yet to find his shooting stroke, averaging just 9.8 PPG (.393/.344/.500) and ranking in the 10th percentile for bigs in effective field goal percentage (per Cleaning the Glass). In fact, Turner is shooting just 32% on wide-open threes—those where the closest defender is 6+ feet away—which has led to some noticeable hesitancy to let it fly. He is, however, finding other ways to contribute, averaging career highs in assists (2.5) and plus/minus (+6.3) to go along with his typical contributions in rebounds (6.2) and blocks (1.8, sixth in the league). Still, if there’s a game for Turner to break out of his offensive slump, it’s this one.
How To Watch
FanDuel Sports Wisconsin at 6:00 p.m. CDT.
