After notching a gutsy win to start the preseason Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies, Jason Kidd’s young Milwaukee Bucks fell victim to a bevy of youthful mistakes on the road against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night.

The Bucks committed 23 turnovers and were overwhelmed by the home team in a 94-80 defeat. Afterward, Coach Kidd was happy with the energy his team brought on the second night of a back-to-back, but lamented his squad’s abundance of errors.

“Especially on a back-to-back, I thought their energy was there,” Jason said. “But for 48 minutes against a very talented team like Detroit, you’ve got to keep them off the boards and you’ve got to take care of the ball.”

Milwaukee Bucks v Detroit Pistons

Early on in the contest, it looked like the young Bucks were ready to handle their first taste of the typical demands of a regular-season NBA slate. Coach Kidd prepared his team well for the back-to-back and after their promising comeback victory against the Grizz in Green Bay on Wednesday, they jumped out to a 10-point lead after one quarter in Detroit.

They did so behind a different starting group than took the floor to open Wednesday’s game.

After Brandon Knight, Khris Middleton, Jared Dudley, Jabari Parker and Larry Sanders earned the starting nods Wednesday, Jason elected to switch up his first five for Game 2. Kendall Marshall, Jerryd Bayless, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Zaza Pachulia and John Henson represented the starting five on Thursday.

After the game, Parker revealed his coach’s intentions behind the drastic lineup switch. The rookie explained that he has full faith in Coach Kidd’s strategy for the exhibition schedule.

“He (Kidd) is using different lineups and we’re going to complement each other,” Parker said. “The experience is going to help. That’s what preseason is for.”

Marshall, the team’s newly acquired point guard, kicked things off with a triple off a feed from another newcomer in Bayless and the Bucks jumped out to an early lead.

One of Milwaukee’s most promising youngsters, Antetokounmpo, a second-year talent from Greece, shined early. The Greek Freak notched four points in the opening minutes, including an eye-opening transition dunk off a feed from Marshall.

But Antetokounmpo wasn’t the only shining young Buck for Milwaukee. Middleton knocked down three trifectas in the first frame, part of a 13-point night. Entering just his second year in Milwaukee, Middleton is looking like a key piece of the Bucks puzzle, particularly after scoring a game-high 17 Wednesday.

Milwaukee Bucks v Detroit Pistons

Middleton’s third three came at the buzzer off a feed from Knight, who chipped in 11 points and seven assists off the bench, and at the end of the opening quarter, the Bucks were in front 29-19.

But the turnover bug bit Milwaukee in the second and the Pistons started the frame on a 12-3 run to cut the deficit to just one point. Milwaukee mounted a counter charge over the middle of the quarter, but Detroit took over as the game headed toward halftime.

The fourth and final lead change of the game occurred with two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the second quarter, when former Buck Brandon Jennings converted a layup to put Detroit in front 43-42. Over the final four minutes and change in the second, the Pistons owned a 15-5 advantage and took a five-point lead into the break.

After shooting 47.6 percent from the field in the first quarter, Milwaukee hit on just 31.3 percent of shots in the second quarter and things got even worse in the third, as they connected on just 27.8 percent of their attempts, including nearly a five-minute stretch where they went without a point. From that, the young Bucks were never able to recover.

For the game, the Bucks shot 36.5 percent from the field, which included a 1-for-9 performance by veteran guard O.J. Mayo in just 22 minutes of work. Mayo was held out of Milwaukee’s first preseason game in Green Bay on Wednesday and is dealing with a nagging ankle injury. However, the veteran said he wanted an opportunity to play with his teammates early in the preseason and wasn’t deterred by the rough shooting performance.

“My ankle bothered me a little bit but I just wanted to be out there,” Mayo said. “It’s finding team chemistry and finding an opportunity to jell was more important than trying to rest anything.”

Although Mayo’s struggled with his shot, perhaps hindered by the balky ankle, the Bucks veteran found other ways to impact the game, including five rebounds. After the game, Coach Kidd noted that he was pleased with Mayo’s overall performance.

“Hey, this is his first preseason game,” Jason said. “Sometimes with shooters or scorers, they need a rhythm. There’s nothing to judge. I thought he played hard. Defensively he was in the right spots for us. Offensively, his shot will come. It’s just a matter of getting him enough time on the floor.”

Milwaukee Bucks v Detroit Pistons

On the bright side, for the second game in a row, the Bucks kept their scoring balanced. Middleton’s 13 points off an efficient 4-of-6 shooting were enough for a team-high once again, while Parker and Knight each poured in 11 points, and Henson was the fourth player in double figures with 10.

The minutes were split evenly as well—Parker logged the most time Thursday night with 31 minutes, and 13 players rotated through on the night. The rotation was part of the experimental preseason routine for Coach Kidd and he’s hopeful this strategy will help Milwaukee build depth, which will be vital over the course of the 82-game regular season.

“We don’t want to make excuses,” Mayo said. “We’re gonna play more back-to-backs then most teams so we’ll just get used to it. It’s about going out there and staying together. It’s just Game 2 of the preseason, so we have time get better.”

NEXT UP

The Bucks will have a day of rest Friday before they host Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls for their third preseason test on Saturday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Central Division rivals are set for an 7:30 p.m. CT tip and the contest will be broadcast on NBA TV.

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