NBA fans have been quick to react after the Milwaukee Bucks edged the Indiana Pacers 128-127 in overtime to close out their pre-season campaign.
Despite the dramatic finish, the result did little to convince some supporters, with several pointing out that the game was an exhibition rather than a regular-season contest.
Milwaukee trailed by 15 points at half-time before fighting back, with Kel’el Ware forcing overtime with a late basket. Kasparas Jakucionis then made key plays in the extra period to help the Bucks secure the win.
Milwaukee Bucks rally past Indiana Pacers as fans dismiss pre-season result
Tyler Herro led Milwaukee with 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting, while rookie Brayden Burries added 14 points and seven rebounds. Pascal Siakam was Indiana’s leading scorer with 24 points in less than 20 minutes.
The Pacers had looked in control for much of the first half, taking a 71-56 lead into the break. However, Indiana rested its starting group after half-time, allowing Milwaukee to work its way back into the contest.
The Bucks eventually forced overtime at 117-117 before edging the extra period by a single point. That was enough to give Milwaukee a pre-season victory, but the reaction online was far from unanimous.
One fan wrote: “Doesn’t even matter. The REAL fun begins next week.” Another dismissed the rivalry talk, saying: ““Rivalry with Bucks” is over. They don’t have a squad”
Others questioned why anyone was reading too much into the result, with one supporter commenting: “Wait…people actually care about pre-season scores? TIL”
There was also criticism of Indiana rookie Braden Smith, as one fan wrote: “Send Braeden Smith to China.”
However, not every reaction was dismissive. One supporter joked about Burries’ performance, writing: “burries leading the bucks as a rookie in the finale?? okay young man lol”
The result leaves Milwaukee with a 2-3 pre-season record, while Indiana finishes at 1-3. The teams are scheduled to meet again on October 26 at Fiserv Forum, when the regular season begins to give the rivalry a more meaningful setting.
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