Milwaukee Bucks opens a new arena with a win and sees himself among the contenders in the East

MILWAUKEE – The Bucks could not have hoped for a better debut in their new home. Giannis Antetokounmpo picked up where he stopped last season. Coach Mike Budenholzer posted a firepower that was missing from the team last year. Milwaukee beat the Indiana Pacers 118-101 in the first game of the regular season at the Fiserv Forum.

At the start of the season, the Eastern Conference was generally seen as consisting of three teams: the Boston Celtics, the Toronto Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers. After a 2-0 start, Milwaukee says it's also a force to be reckoned with.

"New arena, new facility, new coach," said Antetokounmpo after the 118-101 win over the Pacers. "It's the right time to be a buck."

Although the Brewers had a winning match less than three miles away, Milwaukee's sports fans have invaded the new $ 524-million arena. Bucks legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and NBA commissioner Adam Silver were among the 17,341 present.

Milwaukee has been waiting for the Bucks for a long time: the franchise has not won 50 games in one season or advanced in the playoffs since 2000-01. Last season ended with a playoff loss in the first round against a Celtics team that was missing from Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving of the All-Stars.

Although Milwaukee can not make up for the loss of the seventh game before April, three of the Bucks' next six games will be against the Celtics, Raptors and 76ers. It will not be long before their place in the hierarchical order of the East becomes clear.

"I think we can beat any team any night," said Antetokounmpo. "We have a very, very good opportunity to do good things this year, so let's hope we can work hard, go back and work our craft, and be able to run and compete every night."

Budenholzer, who replaced interim coach Joe Prunty in the offseason after Jason Kidd's replacement by Prunty in mid-2017-18, has focused on spacing and the 3-point shot, which gave the Bucks a different look from what they had shown last season.

"We are just worried about how we compete every day, how we improve every day," he said. "If we do all these things, then we will be where we should be, and hopefully, with the best teams of the East and the NBA.

"We think we can be part of the best teams in the East and compete with anyone," he said. "All that matters is the way we play, I do not think we go there to try to make a statement or show that we are something that was not said . "

Antetokounmpo finished Friday with 26 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists. He had 22 points and 11 rebounds at half-time. According to ESPN Stats & Information, this is the second time in his career that he has at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in the first period. While he left 0-on-7 past the bow, he swore to keep firing.

"It goes up," said Antetokounmpo. "I do not stop, I worked hard this summer, I do not stop."

Antetokounmpo was shy beyond the bow earlier in his career, but this newfound confidence reflects Milwaukee's maturity.

"We are a complete team," said Khris Middleton, who scored 23 points on Friday night. "Giannis is a hell of a player.He can carry a team, but for us to be complete, we need all the guys in that locker room.And until now, they have shown that they could increase when their number was called. "