The Milwaukee Bucks’ 128-126 preseason win over the Oklahoma City Thunder looks a lot tighter on paper than it actually was. Milwaukee erased a 24-point first-half deficit, but the early gap told the real story: the Bucks were still working through the rough edges of being a group that has only been together for a second game as a full unit.
Oklahoma City came out sharp and had the Bucks on their heels right away. The Thunder put up 82 first-half points, shot 60.8% from the field and 46.2% from 3-point range, and piled up 25 assists as a team.
Every starter except one scored in double figures, and they did all of that in just the first half. The looks were clean, the pace was easy, and Milwaukee didn’t do nearly enough to make anything difficult.
That’s been a theme for head coach Taylor Jenkins in camp: defense and intensity have to define this team. But for long stretches, especially before halftime, that identity just wasn’t there. The Thunder were getting easy transition buckets, open threes and very little resistance.
Still, the Bucks found enough individual bright spots to make the comeback worth studying.
Kel'el Ware started over Kyle Kuzma and continued to build a strong case for a bigger role. After posting 14 points and 12 rebounds against the Timberwolves, Ware followed with 18 points and 12 rebounds against Oklahoma City.
He did his best work around the rim, leaning on his size and length to get high-percentage chances instead of settling from deep. Through two preseason games, he’s shown the kind of inside impact that can stick.
The starters were also more productive once the game settled down and Oklahoma City went deeper into its rotation. All five starters finished in double figures, and four of them shot better than 50%, which at least gave Milwaukee something to take from the night.
Brayden Burries also gave the Bucks a lift off the bench. He opened with a rough first half, going 2-for-7 and scoring four points, but the rookie finished with 16 points, five rebounds and two steals. He shot 3-for-6 in the second half and scored 10 of his points in the fourth quarter, where he stopped waiting on his shot to fall and attacked the basket, drew multiple free throws and made key plays late.
Kasparas Jakucionis and Ousmane Dieng both made their preseason debuts after sitting out against Minnesota. Jakucionis played 18 minutes and finished with 10 points, four rebounds and four assists. He hit two threes and set up teammates four times, looking comfortable with the ball and leaving a strong first impression.
Dieng gave Oklahoma City a similar kind of all-around contribution in 23 minutes, finishing with eight points, five rebounds and six assists. For a player who built a role through scoring, the passing stood out as much as anything else. Jericho Sims also did his usual work inside, ending with six points and six rebounds, including four offensive boards.
Even with the win, the offense still felt like it was searching for its shape. Tyler Herro, who has averaged 20 points per game over the last five seasons, finished with 13 points, three rebounds and three assists on 5-for-9 shooting from the field and 3-for-6 from 3-point range. But the ball wasn’t running through him, and most of his looks came on catch-and-shoot opportunities.
Myles Turner led the team with 19 points and found more of his scoring touch as the game went on. His damage came inside and on catch-and-shoot threes, which fit the way he plays.
Milwaukee scored 31 more points than it did on Monday, so the trend line is heading the right way. But once the season starts rolling, the Bucks are going to need someone to make a clear claim as the first option.
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