Even when Milwaukee opened the season losing eight of its first 10 games, Bucks coach Doc Rivers knew it was only a matter of time before his team found form.

Sure enough, the Bucks have won four of their last five games heading into an NBA Cup matchup against the visiting Indiana Pacers on Friday.

While Milwaukee is on an upward trend, Indiana has lost four of its last five games. The Pacers shot 5 of 22 (22.7%) from 3-point range in a 130-113 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.

Indiana will look to bounce back against the Bucks and star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 41 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in a 122-106 home win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

Brook Lopez was among several players who struggled during the team’s poor start, but the 7-foot-1 center is averaging 19 points on 55.4 percent shooting over his last five games. .

“We know the team we are,” Lopez said. “We’ve known the team we are all season, we just had to prove it by winning games. It’s getting better and better. Obviously, the last ones, we’re happy to win, they were close games but we We’ve put in a lot of work, we’re doing great.

The Bucks looked like a championship contender at the end of Wednesday’s contest, when they closed out the game on an 18-4 run. After the win, Rivers reflected on his team’s rough start to the season.

“I felt good about the team, but I just didn’t feel good about our record, to be honest,” Rivers said. “I still feel that way – I don’t feel good about our record yet – but I feel good about this team. I feel really good about this team.”

Indiana coach Rick Carlisle isn’t as happy with his team and suggested changes could come after another disappointing loss Wednesday.

“We’re not playing well. That’s obvious,” Carlisle said. “Our connectivity is not where it should be. Our collective spirit is not where it should be. I’m going to watch the film very closely tonight. The coaching staff is. We have to find answers.”

The Pacers desperately need more production from All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was held to four points on 1-of-7 shooting against Houston, including 1-of-5 from 3-point range.

Haliburton is averaging 12.6 points while shooting 30.3 percent from the field and 30.8 percent (12 of 39) from 3-point range over its last five games.

One bright spot in Wednesday’s loss was the play of guard Quenton Jackson, who scored a career-high 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting in his first career start.

Jackson also had three assists, two rebounds, two steals and a block in 27 minutes.

“Quenton Jackson is an example where we need everyone’s spirit,” Carlisle said. “The guy flies everywhere, plays at a ridiculously high level of intensity and selflessness and totally surrenders to the team, you know? For us, we just have to work on embracing that full time and really being there the one for the other.”