The Bucks emerged victorious in their second preseason outing, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road. Milwaukee’s Myles Turner led the team with an impressive 19 points scored in just 22 minutes, but it was Brayden Burries who shined down the stretch, sealing the win with clutch plays. The Thunder were paced by Aday Mara’s 22 points. Notably, AJ Green, Kyle Kuzma, Caris LeVert, Kevin Porter Jr., and Gary Trent Jr. did not participate for Milwaukee.
Game Summary
Milwaukee started the game with a fast tempo, with Jaime Jaquez Jr. knocking down a pair of three-pointers and scoring eight points early on. Despite an initial 18-13 lead, the Bucks struggled to connect from beyond the arc, and after a missed shot by Tyler Herro, Oklahoma City countered with a three-pointer to take the lead and maintained it for the remainder of the half. Midway through the first quarter, both Kasparas Jakucionis and Ousmane Dieng made their preseason debuts, quickly making an impact—Dieng scored a floater in the paint and assisted Jakucionis on a three-pointer. Yet, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder finished the quarter ahead, 44-35.
Milwaukee hit a dry spell characterized more by a lack of teamwork than effort, allowing OKC to extend their lead to 24 points. However, the Bucks stayed energetic despite the struggles. Dieng set up E.J. Liddell for a powerful dunk following a backdoor cut, showcasing his aggressive presence inside. Unfortunately, Liddell suffered an ankle injury during a foul attempt and had to leave the game. The Bucks ended the first half a bit stronger, with Herro scoring and Rollins hitting a nice teardrop, trailing 82-64 at halftime.
In the second half, OKC rested all starters but Mara, while Milwaukee kept their main players on the court longer. This helped the Bucks outscore the Thunder 33-20 in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to five points by quarter’s end. As the third progressed, Milwaukee’s starters left the floor except for Kel’el Ware, who took advantage of the Thunder’s bench players. The score after three quarters was 102-97 in favor of Oklahoma City.
The final quarter featured several Bucks players making their preseason debuts, including Bogoljub Markovic, Kameron Jones, and Cormac Ryan. Alongside Pete Nance and Brayden Burries, these players helped keep the game close. Burries gave the Bucks their first lead with roughly four minutes remaining and executed key plays all the way to the final buzzer, ultimately securing the victory for Milwaukee with calm and confidence beyond his years.
Notable Stat
The Bucks dominated the glass in the first half against OKC’s starters, pulling down 31 rebounds to the Thunder’s 24, including a wide 12-3 advantage on offensive rebounds. This effort led to Milwaukee taking five more shots than Oklahoma City during that stretch, a pattern typical of Taylor Jenkins’ teams.
Bold Prediction
While it might be premature to predict a championship banner by 2027, Ousmane Dieng’s performance signals that he should be considered for a starting role at power forward. Sharing a team-high seven assists with Ryan Rollins and committing just one turnover, Dieng displayed sharp court vision and awareness from the outset. His ability to guard multiple positions and facilitate offense could make him the key playmaker the Bucks need to unlock the full potential of Myles Turner and Kel’el Ware, both of whom benefited heavily from assisted shots last season.
Fan Take: This game highlights the Bucks’ depth and the emergence of promising young talent like Dieng, which bodes well for their future competitiveness. For basketball fans, it’s exciting to see how new players and evolving team dynamics might shape the landscape of the NBA in the coming years.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
