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There may be no better feeling for the Milwaukee Bucks than starting over. Last season, the Bucks looked poised to make their way to a second consecutive NBA Finals, only to fade down the stretch, be riddled with injuries, and lose in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Boston Celtics. After a relatively quiet offseason, and a preseason slate that included a trip to Abu Dhabi to take on the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee is ready for the real thing, and it kicks off this Thursday night. Here’s what is in store for the beginning of the 2022-23 season.
Thursday, October 20 at Philadelphia (6:30 p.m., TNT)
There certainly won’t be any easing into the new season for the Bucks, as they’ll be part of the primetime lineup on the third night of the season, taking on James Harden, Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. Both teams were serious title contenders last year, and both were eliminated in their respective Eastern Conference semifinal series, with Milwaukee falling to Boston and the 76ers to the Miami Heat. In their regular season meetings last year, though, things were close in all of their contests. There is certainly no love lost between Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden, who will both be eager to get the new slate of games off to a good start. With national television coverage, expect both stacked teams to want to make a statement.
Saturday, October 22 vs. Houston (7 p.m., Bally Sports Wisconsin)
The Bucks’ regular season home opener happens on Saturday night, as they welcome the Houston Rockets to Fiserv Forum. Last year, the Rockets finished with the worst record in the league, picking up just 20 wins, and getting the third overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft for their troubles. Forward Jabari Smith from Auburn is the newest addition to the Houston squad, and he joins a very young roster of players that will want to prove themselves against one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. The NBA season can be a long grind, so look for the Bucks to give their second unit some extended minutes in the home opener, as well as experiment with different looks on the offensive side of the ball.
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