Michael Pointer

michael.pointer@indystar.com

The Indiana Pacers figured to be exasperating to watch at times early this season. They're banged up and looking to work in several newcomers. Some of the returnees have limited starting experience themselves.

But even with all that, losing 87-81 at home to the Milwaukee Bucks – a team that's improved, but still isn't expected to contend for a playoff spot – is a reminder the Pacers look to be much closer to the bottom of the NBA than the top. The back-to-back appearances in the Eastern Conference final are a memory. The hope now may be to hold on until starters like David West and George Hill return.

"I think there are some possessions we are too patient," coach Frank Vogel said. "There's some possessions we were not patient enough. It's just a matter of finding a rhythm.

"We're playing unselfishly, we're playing hard. The execution just has to improve."

Execution is often an overused word when players and coaches talk to the media, but when it means the Pacers are committing too many turnovers, Vogel is right on. Indiana (1-3) entered Tuesday's game tied for 24th in the NBA in turnovers per game with 18. It topped that with 19 against the Bucks (2-2), who outscored the Pacers 28-4 off turnovers.

The miscues were spread throughout the lineup, too. Eight different players committed turnovers, led by Solomon Hill's four. Hill added 12 points and showed some improvement in just his fourth career start. But it was an especially brutal night for the Pacers starting backcourt of Donald Sloan and CJ Miles, who went a combined 2-for-15 from the field with five turnovers. Sloan did have six assists.

"It's just not focusing, not paying attention," said Sloan, last season's third-string point guard who is starting due to injuries to George Hill (knee contusion) and C.J. Watson (bruised foot). "There were a couple of bad breaks, but for the most part, it's just being careless with the ball."

His teammates agreed, with the hope that things will get better with more familiarity. It will have to come quickly, as the Pacers play at Washington on Wednesday and Boston on Friday.

"I think a lot of it has to do with being comfortable with each other, but that has to be in the past," Solomon Hill said. "We're in position to win games at the end, but 19 turnovers is too many."

Added guard Rodney Stuckey: "Obviously, we've got a couple of new guys. We're just starting to get to know each other. We see things and think they're open and they're not. We had a couple of silly turnovers. Just have to clean it up."

Milwaukee snapped a 16-game road losing streak dating back to last season despite shooting only seven free throws – just one more than the record for fewest shot by a Pacers' opponent, set by Orlando on April 27, 1999. The Bucks actually came into the night worst in turnovers per game in the NBA with an average of 21.3, but committed just 12 against the Pacers.

Indiana also didn't help itself by shooting just 39.7 percent from the field (31-for-78), a season-low 25 percent from 3-point range (6-for-24) and a season-low 59 percent from the line (13-for-22).

"We had a tough shooting night," Vogel said. "We had a lot of good looks. I was more disappointed with our inability to take care of the basketball. I thought that cost us the game."

Indiana's Chris Copeland scored 19 points off the bench, getting all but one in the second half. Stuckey, who suffered a left tendon strain in his foot at Atlanta on Saturday, was cleared to play after Tuesday morning's shoot-around and finished with nine points in 17 minutes. Roy Hibbert had 16 points – including 7-for-10 from the field – and added five blocked shots.

But Miles is now 3-for-21 from the field in his past two games. The Pacers lost Tuesday despite outrebounding the Bucks 47-39.

Indiana got off to a good start, holding Milwaukee scoreless for the first four minutes and taking a 7-0 lead on Solomon Hill's free throw with 8:31 left. But the Pacers hit just three of their final 15 shots of the quarter and the Bucks led 22-19 at the end of it. They were just 7-for-20 in the second quarter and Milwaukee stretched its lead to 43-36 on Brandon Knight's running jumper with 32 seconds left.

That foreshadowed Knight's hot start to the second half. He hit a pair of 3-pointers just after the break. Jabari Parker hit a turnaround jumper in the lane and followed that with a 10-foot stepback jumper to give the Bucks a 53-38 lead with 9:46 remaining.

"We just came out in a bad rhythm in the third quarter, for whatever reason," Vogel said. "We had some poorly executed plays. Maybe that impacted our focus."

The Pacers cut it to 64-59 on Copeland's 3-pointer with 1:13 left in the third , but didn't get any closer until Copeland hit another 3-pointer that made it 84-81 with 42 seconds remaining in regulation. Knight followed that with a long 2-pointer, and after a pair of misses by the Pacers, the Bucks hit a free throw to end the game.

Indiana follows up the Washington-Boston trip with a home game against Washington on Saturday. By Nov. 15, they will have played 11 games in 17 days to start the season.

"Certainly, the situation we are in, more practice time would be beneficial," Vogel said. "But we don't have that luxury. We'll have to look at film and be better in shoot-arounds and be ready to go."

Call Star reporter Michael Pointer at (317) 444-6307. Follow him on Twitter @michaelpointer.