The young Bucks took the floor for the first time under Coach Jason Kidd on Wednesday night and quickly showed the promise of a bright future in Milwaukee.

In their preseason opener, the Bucks rallied from a 15-point deficit to pull of an 86-83 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

1009_KiddThough his team struggled at times throughout the contest, Coach Kidd was able to compose them in crunch time. Milwaukee was extremely efficient down the stretch and performed best in the fourth quarter.

After Jabari Parker threw down a dunk to tie the game at 75 with 3:23 left in regulation, the Bucks only missed one shot the rest of the way, a crucial component to victory. Afterward, Jason told the media that he was more than pleased with the team’s execution, especially for such a young group in their first crunch time situation.

“In this league, no matter who suits up or who plays you have to learn how to win and I think we took a step in that direction,” Kidd said. “Late in the game, when you talk about a young team being able to execute, to go 7-out-of-8 down the stretch, it obviously played a big hand in winning the game.”

It was a collective effort from Milwaukee, with contributions coming from sources both likely and unlikely.

Khris Middleton poured in a team-high 17 points in just 24 minutes of work, while Larry Sanders notched a double-double with 10 points, 15 rebounds. Playing in his first true NBA game Parker, Milwaukee’s rising start and second overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, logged the most minutes of any player in Tuesday’s contest with 32 and used that time to tally 14 points and eight rebounds.

Perhaps most impressive about Parker’s performance was how he thrived late in the game. Eight of his 14 points came in the fourth quarter, including three dunks. That left his teammates in awe.

“I love to see that kid

[Parker] fly,” Sanders said with a smile. “He is one of those kids that is so humble and hungry, you just want to see him do well…its going to be fun to watch him grow this year.”

While many team will look to play their entire roster and then some in their first few preseason contests, Coach Kidd kept his rotation tight, and used just 12 players as he sought to get valuable game experience for some of Milwaukee’s young Bucks.

Memphis Grizzlies v Milwaukee Bucks

That game experience didn’t all go according to plan, however.

Milwaukee struggled out of the gate, connecting on just four of their 14 shots in the opening quarter and they found themselves behind 20-5 just eight-and-a-half minutes into the game. But the Bucks slowly began to chip away at that lead over the next few quarters.

They continued to struggled to make shots in the second, and closed the first half shooting just 28.6 percent from the field. But Milwaukee stepped up on the defensive end in the second, limiting Memphis to just 13 points and by halftime they had the deficit down to 7.

“We were going to find if guys were going to give in and quit, and nobody quit playing,” Jason said.

The Grizzlies started the third hot and briefly pushed their lead back to 15 points, but the Bucks battled back and finished the quarter on a 12-3 run to pull back within six. That set Milwaukee up for an incredible finish as they dominated the final frame, scoring 33 points on 14-of-21 from the field.

Memphis Grizzlies v Milwaukee Bucks

 

Middleton keyed the scoring surge with nine of his 17 points and Parker tacked on eight in the final frame.

“At the end of the game it was kind of scripted,” Jason said. “As a coach, you always want to see how your young guys respond to different situations — being down, needing a basket. We executed the plays down the stretch and that is hopefully something we can build on and gain confidence with.”

In addition to the great efforts from Parker, Middleton and Sanders, Milwaukee’s guard play was also very strong. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brandon Knight combined for 19 points and 11 assists in the victory and did well to compliment the Bucks front court trio of Sanders, Parker, and Middleton, much to the delight of the Green Bay crowd.

“I think the people here got to see the Young Bucks play,” Jason said. “Everybody chipped in and we found a way to win.”

2014 Milwaukee Bucks Fan Fest and Open Practice

As he looks to build his young squad into a contender, Coach Kidd understands that the success will not come overnight. It’s a process he has experienced before, one that can be grueling and long, but when the peak has been reached it will all be worth it.

“I think that role [of underdogs] is fine by me, and it’ll be fine by the guys. We’re starting at the bottom and we have to work our way up the mountain,” he said. “It’s not always going to be easy climbing it.”

NEXT UP

The Bucks don’t have to wait long for their next chance to keep climbing as they finish out their first preseason back-to-back on Thursday night when they travel to Detroit to take on the Central Division rival Pistons at The Palace in Auburn Hills. Tip-off is set for 6:30PM CT.

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