Wilson, Brown have mixed results
DALLAS - Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd isn't one to slowly introduce his rookies to the NBA. They get their pregame warm-up then things heat up quick as he throws them into the starting lineup and into the fire.
This year's crop of Bucks rookies, D.J. Wilson and Sterling Brown, took their turn Monday night against the Dallas Mavericks in Milwaukee's preseason opener at the American Airlines Center.
"That's what it's all about is the experience," Kidd said. "They're starting the first preseason game. As a coach seeing how they handle the situation, their teammates will all do the same. We all hope those two guys get off to a good start."
The results were mixed and featured more
drama than just starting — Wilson and Brown were asked to finish, too. Milwaukee coughed up a 13point lead and with just over seven minutes left, and Kidd sent Wilson and Brown back in to finish the game with the Bucks trailing by a point.
Thanks to big plays by Gary Payton II and Rashad Vaughn, the Bucks battled down to the wire but ultimately fell, 106-104. Dallas rookie Johnathan Motley scored the gamewinning bucket with 4.7 seconds left and Vaughn missed the mark with a triple at the buzzer.
Wilson was patient as part of the starting unit, which also included Malcolm Brogdon, Khris Middleton and John Henson. Wilson waited for his opportunity on offense and struck, catching a pass from Greg Monroe and stroking his first shot — a three-pointer — with 3:34 remaining in the first quarter.
Wilson went on to make hit first three shots for seven points through the first three quarters. He finished with 9 points on 4-of-7 shooting and one rebound.
Brown, who was playing in a homecoming after graduating from SMU in the spring, had a rougher go of it. He never found his shooting stroke, missing badly on multiple three-point attempts, and finished 0 of 9 from the field in a team-high 271⁄2 minutes. He did contribute five rebounds and two assists and the team was plus-five with him on the court, which tied for the best plus-minus mark on the team.
Vaughn had a teamhigh 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting, with all of his contributions coming in the second half. His standout performance in the second half came in tandem with some strong minutes by Kendall Marshall, who racked up 10 of the Bucks' 34 assists in just 16 minutes after intermission.
In the first half, Middleton got the Bucks off to a solid start and looked to be in midseason form with 12 early points in 14 1/2 minutes of action. Henson, who started with Thon Maker out nursing a right ankle injury, displayed his versatility in the early going, scoring 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting while grabbing four rebounds and moving well in space within the offense.
Greg Monroe opened the second half, shepherding his younger teammates on the way to 12 points and seven rebounds, tying Brown with at plus-5 while he was on the court.
The Bucks open their home slate at 7 p.m. Wednesday with a preseason game against the Indiana Pacers at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.