In their first two games of the new season, the Milwaukee Bucks produced nearly identical point totals while getting productive performances from stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

The differences between their season-opening road win over the Philadelphia 76ers and their home opener loss to the Chicago Bulls played out in other ways, leaving the Bucks rebounding from their first loss when they travel to the winless Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

Milwaukee opened its first full season under coach Doc Rivers by getting a combined 55 points from Lillard and Antetokounmpo in Wednesday’s 124-109 victory at Philadelphia. In Game 1, the Bucks had six players score in double figures, shot 53.8 percent, made 16 3-pointers and allowed 41.8 percent shooting against a team missing stars Joel Embiid and Paul George.

Lillard and Antetokounmpo combined for 66 points Friday, but the Bucks absorbed a 133-122 loss to the Bulls by struggling in the second half. Milwaukee was outscored 70-58 after halftime when Lillard and Antetokounmpo combined for 34 points.

The Bucks shot 49.5 percent for the game as Antetokounmpo and Lillard were a combined 26 of 44 (59.1 percent), but both players struggled in one key area. Antetokounmpo was 8 of 16 from the free throw line and 17 of 32 (53.1%) so far, while Lillard was 3 of 12 from 3-point range Friday after making six in the season opener .

“It’s funny,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said after the Bulls made 21 3-pointers. “We scored 122 and shot almost 50 percent and we didn’t play offensively like we should. I thought a lot of things got away on the other side. It wasn’t the same team with the ball movement that you saw the other night (in Philadelphia). I think it’s leaking both ways.”

Lillard said: “I guess we didn’t stick to the script and we didn’t completely trust what we did. I think we had our moments, but I think we just away from what we were doing in the last match. It’s early and we have to continue to develop these kinds of habits, even if it’s not going well.

The Nets return for Jordi Fernandez’s home coaching debut while trying to avoid their first 0-3 start since dropping the first seven games of the 2015-16 season.

Brooklyn hopes to avoid following the same pattern of committing too many turnovers and fouls, as it did in its two losses to Atlanta and Orlando.

The Nets opened with a 120-116 loss at Atlanta on Wednesday when they committed 19 turnovers and 32 fouls, then committed 19 giveaways and 31 fouls in Friday’s 116-101 loss at Orlando when they were dominated 53-36 in the 17 and over final. minutes.

The fouls allowed the Nets to allow 56 free throws on 79 attempts while the turnovers led to 42 points.

I think you have to get used to playing at that physical level and at that pace,” Fernandez said. “Once we get there, (that’s) when you don’t do as much mistakes because you are tired, etc.”

The Nets’ Cam Thomas scored 24 points Friday after getting 36 in the season opener. Dennis Schroder added 20 against the Magic, but Ben Simmons committed five fouls for the second straight game and has 10 turnovers so far.

Milwaukee has won the last five meetings and is 9-2 in the last 11 regular season meetings since winning in overtime in Game 7 of the second round at Brooklyn in the 2021 playoffs.