Milwaukee Bucks Secure First Win by Defeating Indiana Pacers 110-102

The Milwaukee Bucks secured their first victory of the 2026-27 NBA season on Monday night, defeating the Indiana Pacers 110-102 at Fiserv Forum. Tyler Herro paced the Milwaukee offense with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, helping the team rebound from an early three-game slide.

The win allowed the Bucks to avoid falling to an 0-4 start, a skid the franchise has not experienced since the 1976-77 season. Supporting contributions came from Ryan Rollins with 19 points, Kyle Kuzma with 17, and Kel'el Ware, who posted 16 points and 14 rebounds to capture his second consecutive double-double.

Indiana played the matchup short-handed, missing center Ivica Zubac after he sprained his left ankle during a 136-109 victory against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night. The Pacers were also without T.J. McConnell due to a hamstring strain, Andrew Nembhard due to a back issue, and Ben Sheppard, who is sidelined with a meniscus tear.

Despite the absences, the Pacers put up a fight behind Tyrese Haliburton, who recorded 22 points, nine assists, and six rebounds, alongside Pascal Siakam, who contributed 20 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists. Indiana controlled stretches of the game, but a crucial fourth-quarter turning point arrived when an opponent turnover led to a Nate Ament dunk, breaking an 86-86 tie with 10:08 remaining.

Ament's basket ignited an 8-0 run for Milwaukee as the Pacers missed their first six shots of the final period. Although Siakam later scored six straight points to narrow the deficit to three, late three-pointers from Kasparas Jakučionis and Kuzma solidified the victory for the home side.

The contest took place in front of a sparse crowd at Fiserv Forum, with attendance remaining under one-third capacity as local fans tuned into Game 3 of the World Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay via a score tracker on the arena's video board.

In personnel news prior to the matchup, reports revealed that the Bucks turned down a trade offer from the Denver Nuggets concerning former guard Kevin Porter Jr. before ultimately waiving him. According to league sources, the proposed deal would have sent Porter to Denver in exchange for Zeke Nnaji and future second-round draft considerations, but Milwaukee opted to walk away to avoid taking on Nnaji's salary and protect future financial flexibility.