Tyrese Haliburton walked off gingerly at the half with a charley horse: "I get a few charley horses a year, so stretch and I'll be fine in a couple of days." Indiana assistant Lloyd Pierce said they came out "pretty much unscathed" and called that the win of the night.
Indiana will likely have a light day Oct. 17 and Oct. 18 off before the New Orleans opener, assistant Lloyd Pierce said. Ivica Zubac is "the non-shooting 5," he said; Jay Huff and Larry Nance Jr. change the spacing. On Aaron Nesmith: "Obviously, we're missing Aaron."
Braden Smith filled in as Indiana's backup point guard in the preseason with T.J. McConnell out, Tyrese Haliburton said: "Braden was getting a lot of second-team reps at that point guard position." Worth watching if McConnell isn't ready for the New Orleans opener.
Tyler Herro is settling into the ball-handling role Bucks coach Taylor Jenkins wants for him: "My best years I've had were on the ball, but I can do a little bit of both." He expects to be ready by the end of camp and says drawing opponents' best defenders will free up teammates.
Rather than trim everyone's minutes, Taylor Jenkins sits a few Bucks each preseason game so players are built up to 20 to 25 minutes a night. Even so, for the preseason finale against Indiana: "I doubt everyone gets to regular season minutes." Nate Ament alone missed camp.
Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton said the ankle that kept him out at Milwaukee wasn't serious; he meant to sit in Oklahoma City but played for the reps. His back, troubled since he was 16, is "always going to be a thing," and ramping up revived forgotten aches in his knee and hips.
Larry Nance Jr. and Jay Huff should treat Indiana's backup center job as a team, Rick Carlisle said: "their job is to hold the fort." Both can also play power forward so the Pacers can go bigger. Asked about T.J. McConnell for the opener: "Working on it. We hope so."
Ivica Zubac is "probably the best screener in the NBA," Indiana's Aaron Nesmith said. Tyrese Haliburton said slowing his pace helped their pick-and-roll. Asked whether Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard and Jarace Walker practiced after missing Oct. 13, Rick Carlisle said only: "Some."