Taylor Jenkins closes with Kel'el Ware over Myles Turner as the 0-3 Bucks lose in Philadelphia: 'We're making progress'
WhyNBA Sports Desk · Oct 25, 2026
The story
Taylor Jenkins left Myles Turner on the bench for the entire fourth quarter and finished with Kel'el Ware in a 127-116 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, October 24, a rotation call that tells you where the first-year coach of the Milwaukee Bucks is looking after an 0-3 start.
The story
Jenkins did not sound like a coach whose plan was breaking. "The record is the record, but we're making progress on how we want to play," he said afterward, as quoted by Brew Hoop, before pointing to the one number that decided the night: "Turnovers put us in a bind."
The story
Game Center: Bucks at 76ers, box score and play-by-play
Ware's minutes go up, Turner's go down
The center position is the clearest change in Jenkins' rotation through three games. Ware played 14 minutes in the opener against the Washington Wizards, when he fouled out, and 15 in Friday's 132-125 home loss to the Chicago Bulls.
Ware's minutes go up, Turner's go down
In Philadelphia he played 29 minutes and turned them into 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting, 13 rebounds and two blocks for his first double-double of the season. Milwaukee was four points better than the 76ers with him on the floor.
Ware's minutes go up, Turner's go down
Turner, who played 32 minutes in the opener, logged just under 20 this time. He went 0-of-4 from the field, picked up four fouls and three turnovers and finished at minus-16, the worst mark on the team.
Ware's minutes go up, Turner's go down
Jenkins has not announced a lineup change, and the Bucks have not said whether Monday's starting five will look different.
Ware's minutes go up, Turner's go down
The bench decision fits what Jenkins has described since camp: a deep rotation in which most players get somewhere between 20 and 25 minutes.
Ware's minutes go up, Turner's go down
Ten Bucks played on Saturday, and for part of the second quarter Milwaukee's five-man unit had no player past his third season in the league.
Where the game was lost
The effort numbers were on Milwaukee's side. The Bucks outrebounded the 76ers 62-40, grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and dominated the paint, even with Philadelphia playing without LeBron James. What undid them was ball security and the three-point line.
Where the game was lost
The box score charges Milwaukee with 23 turnovers to Philadelphia's 11, and the 76ers made 19 of their 44 threes while the Bucks made 11 of 34.
Where the game was lost
Jaime Jaquez Jr. led Milwaukee with 21 points, Ryan Rollins added 15 and Tyler Herro scored 13 on 6-of-14 shooting, a night after his 34 against Chicago. The Bucks trailed by 10 going into the fourth quarter and got as close as three before Philadelphia closed it out.
What comes next
The Bucks open a homestand against the Indiana Pacers on Monday, October 26, at 8:00 p.m. ET, still looking for their first win. Whether Ware stays in the bigger role, and whether Turner gets his minutes back, is the first rotation question Jenkins will answer at home.
What comes next
Game Center: Pacers at Bucks
Photo credit
Myles Turner with the Indiana Pacers in March 2018. File photo: Keith Allison · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized.
Keep reading
Read the full article for more context and the latest details.