The Milwaukee Bucks are searching for their first win, while the Indiana Pacers are trying to restart a bigger journey. On Monday night, those paths meet in Milwaukee. As of Saturday, Oct. 24, the Bucks were 0-3 after three tough losses, and the Pacers were 1-1. Milwaukee is building its next chapter around new leader Tyler Herro. Indiana is welcoming back Tyrese Haliburton, the clever guard whose return can lift the whole team.

Herro has made a quick mark in his new role. He is scoring 23.7 points per game and hitting 41.7 percent of his shots from three-point range. That shows why he is the engine of Milwaukee’s offense. Herro can curl around screens, pull up from deep, or use his handle to find space for a short jumper. Against Indiana’s active guards, he will need to make sharp choices with the ball and help the Bucks avoid empty trips.

That has been Milwaukee’s biggest early problem. The Bucks score 119 points per game and shoot well from both the field and beyond the arc, so they can fill the basket. Yet they also lose the ball 19 times per game. Those turnovers can turn into quick chances for an opponent. Indiana averages 7.5 steals, meaning Pacers defenders have been good at poking the ball free and racing the other way.

Milwaukee can answer with size. Kel’el Ware is an athletic 7-footer who finishes high above the rim and is beginning to show a soft touch from outside. Veteran Myles Turner protects the basket with 2.3 blocks per game. A block is a shot stopped before it reaches the hoop, and Turner’s timing can make drivers think twice. If Ware and Turner control rebounds, Milwaukee can limit Indiana’s extra chances and give Herro more chances to attack.

But Indiana brings a fast-moving three-player challenge. Haliburton has opened the season with 20.5 points and 9.5 assists per game. His passes can arrive from surprising angles, especially when he pushes the ball up the floor. Pascal Siakam gives him a powerful partner who can score near the basket, from the middle of the court, or while driving past a defender. Siakam’s 26.5 points per game have come on a sharp 58.3 percent shooting, a sign that he has found strong looks rather than forcing wild shots.

Andrew Nembhard adds another steady set of hands. He has averaged 17 points and seven assists, so Milwaukee cannot focus only on Haliburton. The Pacers lead this matchup in passing, with 28 assists per game. Their three-point shots have not fallen often so far, but their ball movement gives them many ways to create open lanes and close-range looks.

Milwaukee’s young group has a chance to turn a difficult start into a statement at home. Still, Indiana has more early balance, fewer turnovers, and several creators who can share the work. Prediction: The Pacers will win by using Haliburton’s pace and Siakam’s versatile scoring to pull ahead late.

Tyrese Haliburton Brings Indiana’s Fast Attack to Milwaukee