Nets 119, Bucks 115: Young players get a chance to develop and show their potential in loss to Brooklyn

NEW YORK – The Milwaukee Bucks returned to Barclays Center on Friday night in Brooklyn for their first trip to the site since their classic Game 7 victory over the Nets in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but the 119-115 preseason loss was more about who wasn’t on the court.

Nets point guard Kyrie Irving was ruled ineligible for the game Thursday as New York has a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for indoor activities. The mandate does not apply to visiting NBA teams but the Bucks ruled eight players out by Friday afternoon due to various physical ailments.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee soreness), Jrue Holiday (left knee soreness), Khris Middleton (bilateral hamstring soreness), Bobby Portis (left hamstring strain), Rodney Hood (right midfoot soreness), Semi Ojeleye (left calf strain) and Donte DiVincenzo (left ankle surgery) all missed their second straight preseason contest.

Guard Grayson Allen (left knee soreness) was also ruled out. Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game there was no specific injury that occurred to the 26-year-old guard, however, but the move to sit him was precautionary.

Of the eight, only DiVincenzo, Portis and Ojeleye did not practice Thursday in New Jersey.

Before the game Budenholzer said the team would evaluate how many minutes veterans Brook Lopez, Pat Connaughton and George Hill played but none played.

As a result, the Bucks started veteran Thanasis Antetokounmpo, second-year guard Jordan Nwora, draft picks Georgios Kalaitzakis and Sandro Mamukelashvili and guard Tremont Waters and had nine players to work with.

“It’s a great opportunity for some of our young guys to play against one of the best teams in our league, an elite team in our league and elite individual players,” Budenholzer said. “Those opportunities are rare. It was great for the young guys to just kind of go out there and compete and play basketball. I think there’s some good stuff of those guys tonight.”

Brooklyn, on the other hand, opened their first preseason home game with Kevin Durant, James Harden, Blake Griffin, Bruce Brown and Joe Harris. Paul Millsap missed the game due to league health and safety protocols.

Durant led the way with 18 points, six rebounds and three assists for the Nets while Harris (15 points), Harden (eight points) and Griffin (five assists, three points) joined him in playing at least 20 minutes. Brown had four points in 16 minutes.

LaMarcus Aldridge, who has returned to the NBA after retiring in April due to a pre-existing heart condition, played 20 minutes and scored 12 points for the Nets.

Ostensibly, the day was about giving time to the Bucks' developing players.

They got the feel of a road game and had their turns against future Hall of Famers, former all-stars and others who will be key rotation pieces for a Nets team with title aspirations.

And, the young Bucks had their moments.

Nwora: The guard led the team with 30 points and shot the ball far better than the preseason opener in Memphis. He made 7 of 11 shots in the first half for 18 points and had seven rebounds. His first half also included a 4 of 6 performance behind the three-point line, including a behind-the-back dribble that shook a defender to set up an open look. Nwora finished 11-for-21 from the field and he had eight rebounds and two assists.

“I think I’ve done an alright job,” Nwora said of the opening of his preseason. “Obviously I can always improve. I think I’ve done a lot better on the defensive side of the floor. I think I’ve done a good job of making the right plays. Sometimes the right play is taking shots, but I think I’ve done a lot a lot better these past few games.”

Mamukelashvili: The New York native and Seton Hall alumnus displayed a bevy of offensive moves to score 20 points, from hitting a three to spinning Nets veteran big man James Johnson around with a nice pivot in the post to a strong dunk over Harris off a pick-and-roll feed from Nwora. The dunk got the Bucks bench up, including a flexing Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had to be gently pulled off the court by Connaughton. Mamukelashvili also had a nice baseline turnaround on Brown, a reverse layup on Griffin and a catch-and-shoot corner three in the second half. Mamukelashvili added 11 rebounds.

“I just read off the game and see what the situation (is),” Mamukelashvili said.  “I was a little bit aggressive today also, just knowing that my brother (David) was there, I just wanted to make him happy. But as I said I just read the game and see how it evolves. I love passing, so whatever they need me to do I’ll do that.”

Kalaitzakis: The Greek guard was a bit more understated, but he played through contact from Brown to get to the paint to sink a nice 11-footer. He also drew the defense in to find Nwora for an open three in the second half. The 22-year-old had a chance to go head-up on Harden and Durant as well, and he finished with six points, six rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes. Kalaitzakis also blocked a step-back three attempt from Harden that turned into a Bucks' basket.

Waters: The 23-year-old guard has NBA experience with 37 games under his belt while in Boston the last two years. He finished with six points on 2 of 3 shooting and handed out five assists in 25 minutes.

Elijah Bryant: The 26-year-old appeared in only one game for the Bucks last season after signing in May and he was released in September before coming back on a camp deal. The veteran of three European seasons showed his savvy in the fourth quarter, where he scored 13 of his 21 points. He added eight rebounds.

“For me personally, it’s just attacking every day, trying to get better every single day,” Bryant said of his preseason mindset. “The NBA has obviously been an adjustment coming from EuroLeague but I think if I can just focus on getting better every single day, then I’ll be ready for my opportunity like tonight. I had some shots go in and I kept staying assertive. Unfortunately we didn’t get the win but I definitely made some positive steps in the right direction.”

Justin Robinson: Signed to a two-way deal, the guard scored 13 points on 5 of 10 shooting off the bench. He had a nice drive-and-kick to Mamukelashvili out of a timeout in the final minute to set up a potential go-ahead bucket.

Thanasis Antetokounmpo: Of all the Bucks players to play Antetokounmpo had nothing to prove — but he is the same guy every time he plays. He showed that off by chasing down the Nets' DeAndre' Bembry in the first half and trying to block Bembry’s dunk attempt from behind. The play sent Bembry to the court and the fifth-year veteran did not appreciate it. He refused help from the Bucks to get up and did not shake Antetokounmpo’s hand later. Griffin then fouled Antetokounmpo hard on the other end later in the half. And, as are his calling-cards, Antetokounmpo also provided some high-flying dunks and ran down an offensive rebound that led to a bucket.

There were plenty of defensive breakdowns and turnovers for the makeshift Bucks lineups, which will no doubt draw the attention of Budenholzer and the coaching staff when the team returns to Milwaukee — but the fact they made the Nets work for what they did get will be encouraging.

“I just liked the spirit of the guys,” Budenholzer said. “We’ve been having some good practices lately. Those guys are pushing us in practice. For them to get to go out and play and play big minutes, play through some mistakes, play multiple defensive possessions, play in a close game, it’s just a great, great growth opportunity, great development opportunity or those guys.”

Budenholzer 'disappointed' by Department of Justice's decision on Kenosha police officer in Blake case

News off the court also caught the Bucks’ attention before the game.

About 2 ½ hours before tipoff, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey would not face any federal criminal charges for shooting Jacob Blake on Aug. 23, 2020.

Budenholzer said the team was headed to Barclays Center when the news broke so when he met the media about an hour later he was not aware of any player discussions about it, but said “I think just organizationally and personally I think we continue, the Bucks, all of us, continue to be committed to fighting for social justice and for social equality. Disappointed by today’s decision. There’s more work to be done. I think the Bucks and all of us are committed to that work for us going forward.”

The Bucks protested the shooting with a wildcat strike during the NBA playoffs, electing not to play the Orlando Magic on Aug. 26, 2020, in the “bubble” in Florida.

Following the Kenosha District Attorney’s decision to not file charges against Sheskey on Jan. 7, the Bucks and the Pistons protested together after tip-off. Each team held the ball for seven seconds and knelt to symbolize the number of times Blake was shot.

Bucks guard George Hill was a strong voice in the locker room before the wildcat strike, and he admired what many of his former teammates did with the Pistons from afar.

Last season, Hill was a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder when the Bucks and Pistons protested.

“I was happy to see it,” Hill said on Bucks media day on Sept. 27. “Like I said before and I still believe to this day, this world just needs to get back to having decent humanity and love. I feel like we lost God in this world for a little bit. We’ve got to continue to love one another and continue to respect one another and continue to try to make this world a better place and uplift one another to make this world (better). To see what those guys did, I’m sure it meant a lot to them but it meant a lot to the family that they were doing it for.

“That’s the bigger picture. How can we impact lives and make this world a better place?”