Tyler Herro's strong night and other takeaways from Bucks overtime win

The Milwaukee Bucks traveled to Indiana to play against the Indiana Pacers, and it didn’t take long for the two rivals to continue where they left off just a few years ago. 

Milwaukee came out on top, winning 128-127 in overtime, and even though it’s only preseason, things still got chippy on the court. After constant battles in the playoffs and chippy moments, another one occurred just a few minutes into the game between Ryan Rollins and Tyrese Haliburton.

While facing the basket, Haliburton was nudged in the back by Rollins, leading him to fall down. The two exchanged some words, with Haliburton saying some things that you wouldn’t even need Jomboy to break down and read his lips. 

Even without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Bobby Portis, some things just don't change and the hatred between the two division rivals still lingers.

Milwaukee was able to pick up a nice overtime win on the road in its final game of the preseason and left with some positives. Here are three takeaways from the game.

The Tyler Herro we wanted to see

When Tyler Herro returned to his hometown after being traded from Miami, the expectation was for the former All-Star to have the green light in his first season. The Bucks needed someone to become the first option with the departure of Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Herro looked to be that guy. 

Through the first three games, he was slowly getting more and more comfortable and his numbers steadily increased. Entering the game against the Pacers, he averaged 14 points per game while shooting 45.2% from the field and 50% from the 3-point line.

On Friday night, he had his best game of the preseason, recording 25 points, three rebounds and three assists on 10-for-16 (62.5%) from the field and 5-for-7 (71.4%) from the 3-point line.

He looked aggressive and got to his spots on the floor, displaying his scoring ability in multiple ways. As the Bucks finished their last preseason game, they hope Herro can continue to carry his momentum into the regular season.

Bench stepped up

In the first few preseason games, Milwaukee’s bench was not performing up to par. However, the script flipped against the Pacers, and the Bucks got better production from their bench. Nine players on the bench got to see the floor, and they combined for 68 points, with Brayden Burries, Kel’el Ware and Kevin Porter Jr. all scoring double-digit points. 

It helped that the game went into overtime to help some of the guys get on the scoreboard, but it was a positive sight to see multiple players contribute to a comeback win where the starters were subbed out during the third quarter. 

Even key guys like Porter and Burries didn’t play the last five minutes of regulation or the entire overtime period. Looking at potential options to hold down the second unit, it was nice to see a few guys contribute positively.

It’s going to be hard to keep Brayden Burries off the floor

Burries continues to prove why he was a top 10 pick in the NBA Draft. In his last two games, he’s scored 16 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder and 19 points against the Chicago Bulls. He continued his production against the Pacers, recording 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals while shooting 6-for-11 from the field. 

Burries led the bench unit in scoring and instantly provided a spark when he stepped on the court. His 3-point shot didn’t fall, but that didn’t stop him from finding other ways to score. He attacked downhill and finished through contact with some extra touch around the rim, while also being able to turn defense into offense by getting a steal, then taking it coast to coast for an easy basket.

It’s not just the scoring that makes Burries impressive, but also the ability to initiate the offense. Getting hockey assists where he makes the first pass to his teammate who then sets up the scorer shows that he can create opportunities for someone without being the one who gets credit for the assist.

His confidence continues to grow, and he finds ways to impact the game on both ends of the court. The rookie looks to be ahead of schedule, and it’s going to be hard to keep him off the court early.