Critical Bucks Starter Ejected in First Half of Nets Showdown

A key Milwaukee player won't be available for the contest's second half Thursday.

Dec 17, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. (44) attempts to block a shot by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the 3rd quarter of the Emirates NBA Cup championship game at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images / Candice Ward-Imagn Images

A key Milwaukee Bucks player won't be available for the second half of the club's home matchup against the visiting Brooklyn Nets.

Starting Bucks shooting guard Andre Jackson Jackson Jr. was ejected late into the second quarter of Thursday's matchup against the Nets for a foul against Brooklyn center Nic Claxton, who shot two free throws as a consequence of the interaction. The contact was upgraded to a Flagrant 2 foul, forcing Jackson's ejection.

At present, Milwaukee trails Brooklyn by double digits, 66-54. Two-time league MVP power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo leads Milwaukee with 12 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field, six rebounds and five assists.

Three-time All-Star Bucks small forward Khris Middleton has 10 points and three rebounds, while perpetual Sixth Man of the Year candidate Bobby Portis has 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting from the floor and a pair of boards.

Reserve Brooklyn shooting guard Cam Thomas leads all scorers with 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor. New Nets arival D'Angelo Russell (who was traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Nets, for the second time in his career) has 11 points, while top trade chip Cameron Johnson has 10.

The Bucks' defense has been fairly lackluster against Brooklyn, who have been able to score more or less at will through two quarters. The Nets' athletic upside and youth seem to be giving the far older Bucks (four out of five Milwaukee starters are 30 or older) major issues.

Jackson, a second-year player out of Connecticut, was promoted by head coach Doc Rivers ahead of veteran signing Gary Trent Jr. after the team got off to a dismal start through Trent's first seven games with the club. The 23-year-old Jackson finishes the game with just two points on 1-of-1 shooting from the field and two rebounds in 13:31 of action.

The 6-foot-6 swingman is averaging a modest 3.6 points on .396/.353/.538 shooting splits, 3.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.6 steals a night through 30 games for the 17-14 Bucks.

Jackson's absence in the contest's second half means that Trent will likely earn a more pronounced role. He's the only two-guard, aside from Johnson, who's gotten any run in this game. Injured wing AJ Green is out for the night, while veteran Pat Connaughton is a healthy scratch, having fallen out of favor with Rivers.

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