Bucks drop preseason finale to Nets and finish winless in preseason, but look to get healthy before regular-season opener

The Milwaukee Bucks concluded the preseason with a 107-97 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night at Fiserv Forum. The Bucks finished 0-5 for the exhibition slate, but the emphasis throughout was on maintaining player health and working through schematic changes on defense.

The team will host an open scrimmage at Noon Saturday and the regular season begins in Philadelphia on Oct. 20.

"It's been interesting because I feel like we've had good practices, and the games we haven't been as good or where we need to be," Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said after the loss Wednesday. "So, there's some encouraging stuff from the camp and everything and there's a level of where we just gotta continue to work and get better on things and improve.

"If you've been around good teams, sometimes the preseason this kind of thing can happen. But I also don't think we're playing to the level we need to and expect of ourselves. Defensively, particularly, it's just not where we need to be. Need to significantly improve there.

"Got the players to do it and confidence in 'em and everything. I think carry over some of the good practices, play better in a game, we certainly need that because we haven't had it yet."

Box score: Nets 107, Bucks 97

The league's preseason slate ends Friday and rosters must be set for the start of the regular season by 4 p.m. Oct. 17. The Bucks currently have 15 guaranteed contracts and two, two-way contracts (Sandro Mamukelashvili and AJ Green). Lindell Wigginton, Luca Vildoza and Marquis Bolden were on camp contracts.

Giannis Antetokounmpo wraps up preseason

Two-time most valuable player Giannis Antetokounmpo played his second preseason game, logging 32 minutes and scoring 24 points on 6 of 21 shooting. He went 12-for-15 from the free throw line and was 0-for-2 from behind the three-point line. Antetokounmpo added 14 rebounds, four assists, three steals and four turnovers.

"He needs to get stretched out and get ready for the regular season," Budenholzer said of the minutes workload. "So it might be a touch over what we wanted, but I think just the spirit, just wanting to find ways to get better, to grind a little bit tonight, pushed him a little bit more, which I think will be good for him to get ready for next week."

Antetokounmpo's only other game appearance was Oct. 6 in the United Arab Emirates against Atlanta, where he played 21 minutes and scored 19 points on 6 of 16 shooting.

"A little bit out of rhythm," he said in describing his game this preseason. "But it is what it is, second game that I've played.

"It's not going to be easy. I think sometimes your mind forget and you think it's going to be easy and you kind of expect things, you know? I feel like me personally we gotta come out and set the tone, play hard, build good habits, play to improve, play for the team. And as a team we have to play together, we gotta defend better, because it's not gonna be easy.

"Guys are down and who knows when they're gonna be back. This is who we have right now. We still have a great team but we have seven, eight days away from the next game when it really counts. We gotta kind of buckle down and try to build good habits."

Antetokounmpo played for the Greek national team in the offseason, beginning training camp on Aug. 1. He played 22 minutes in one game during the Acropolis Tournament and 68 minutes in two World Cup qualifier games in August and then averaged 28.3 minutes per game in six EuroBasket contests for the Greek national team in early September.

Bucks injury updates for coach Budenholzer, Pat Connaughton, Khris Middleton and others

Budenholzer is progressing through his rehab from an offseason ankle replacement and after associate head coach Charles Lee handled pre- and post-game media duties Tuesday in Chicago, Budenholzer was back on the podium before the game against the Nets.

“I think to call it ‘combo coaching’ and hopefully the combo becomes a little more me and a little less him, not that he hasn’t been phenomenal,” Budenholzer said prior to the game. “but I think just given kind of where I am with the foot and everything, and actually it’s gone well. I would call it the combo version. It’s been good for Charles, I think the players, so it’ll be some version of that.”

Pat Connaughton sat out a second straight preseason game with an issue in one of his calf muscles.

“So this time of year I think we can be extra cautious,” Budenholzer said. “We just know there is something. When and how or where it happened, we don’t know, he doesn’t know.”

Wesley Matthews has been out with an ankle injury since Sept. 28.

“I feel like he’s getting close. I think I’ll just leave it at that," Budenholzer said. "I think it’s taken a little longer than I think we anticipated but it does feel like we’re nearing where he will be available. With ankles you can never be sure, but I think he had a workout (Wednesday) and I think pushed it a little bit. I haven’t gotten an update after the workout but I do think we’re nearing where he should be cleared and available.”

Grayson Allen missed his second straight game with an illness.

During the ESPN broadcast, Bucks all-star Khris Middleton gave an interview during the game and said he began ball handling drills Wednesday for the first time since having wrist surgery in the offseason.

Jevon Carter has strong training camp

One of the few players who logged regular minutes throughout the preseason was guard Jevon Carter, who bolstered his argument for regular season minutes backing up starting point guard Jrue Holiday. Carter, acquired in late February on the buyout market, played 20 games for the Bucks and shot a remarkable 55.8% from behind the three-point line and 50.6% from the field in just under 18 minutes per game.

He started against the Nets and continued his hot shooting with a 15-point effort while making six of his 12 field goal attempts. He was also 3-for-6 from behind the three-point line.

For the preseason Carter shot 47% from the floor (18-for-38) overall and 52.2% (12-for-23) from behind the three-point line in averaging 10.6 points per game. He also had 18 assists in 109 total minutes of action.

And, Budenholzer said it could lead to a more expanded role in the regular season.

"Yeah, he's earned a big role and a big opportunity," the head coach said. "I would say there was a vision for that coming in but he's certainly taken that opportunity and kind of run with it."

5 Numbers

0

Wins in the preseason for the Bucks.

1

Second it took for Brook Lopez to be called for a foul. Lopez and Nic Claxton’s first attempt at starting the game was whistled dead, and on the second try Lopez was called for a foul.

11

First quarter points for Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, who finished with 20.

32

Seconds into the third quarter for Milwaukee to call timeout as Antetokounmpo turned it over and missed a pull-up three-pointer, each leading to Brooklyn baskets and a 63-51 Nets lead.

46

Feet of Royce O’Neale’s half-ending shot that found nothing but net for Brooklyn.

Did you notice Giannis vs. Ben Simmons?

Giannis Antetokounmpo went head-to-head with Ben Simmons on several occasions. Simmons, a three-time all-star and two-time all-defensive team member, was playing the Bucks for the first time since March 17, 2021, when he was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Each had highlights, beginning in the first quarter as Antetokounmpo fought through contact to throw down an alley-oop of an inbound pass from Jrue Holiday. To begin the second quarter, Simmons forced Antetokounmpo out along the baseline to receive an entry pass from AJ Green. Antetokounmpo faced up and rather than take the jumper, he tried to back Simmons down in the post. Simmons didn’t budge, and as Antetokounmpo made a move into the paint, Simmons swatted the ball away.

In a potentially scary moment late in the third quarter, however, Simmons and Antetokounmpo both hit the floor as Simmons pressured immediately and went for a steal. Antetokounmpo took a few moments to get off the deck and had his hands on his knees for a moment before making two free throws.

How well (and often) Simmons plays will go a long way in determining how well the Nets perform – and Simmons will no doubt be asked to draw Antetokounmpo in crunch time situations when the games count.

Play of the game

After Serge Ibaka put in a layup off a feed from Jrue Holiday to cut Brooklyn’s lead to 56-51 with 2.4 seconds left in the first half, Nets guard Royce O’Neale quickly angled his way to half court after the inbound and fired in buzzer-beating three-pointer between Jordan Nwora and Bobby Portis to make it 59-51. It was only the fourth, three-pointer the Nets made in the half.

Video of the game

Jrue Holiday hit this running floater high over backboard as he fell toward the baseline for two of his 11 first quarter points.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Giannis plays in preseason finale as Bucks fall to the Nets