Deer hunting season is around the corner, and the Milwaukee Bucks are primed to give the NBA a whole new reason to fear the Deer.

This year’s Deer run looks a little different. There are some new faces, sure, but don’t for a second think that the Bucks are rebuilding. They’re evolving. Gone are the familiar names like Middleton, Connaughton, Lopez and Lillard. The dawn of a new era has arrived, with a team that’s younger, more athletic and hungrier for a championship than ever before.

After an offseason headlined by roster pickups including Myles Turner, Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey and Gary Harris, the new additions bring depth and experience to an already strong Bucks squad. The team also re-upped the contracts of players like Bobby Portis, Gary Trent, Jr. and Kevin Porter, Jr., keeping the core of last year’s team intact. Led by two-time MVP and one of the best players on the planet, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks enter the season as a dark horse contender in the Eastern Conference.

With the tip-off of the NBA season just a few weeks away, we couldn’t hold back our excitement. Here are the games you just have to catch at Fiserv Forum this season.

Eastern Conference Matchups

Washington Wizards

October 22 | 7 p.m.

Opening night is always special. The possibilities of a fresh, brand new season are endless, the hype train is off the rails and the overreaction is immediate. So, it only makes sense that the home opener makes the list. However, this year, there’s an added storyline. It is a homecoming of sorts for long-time Bucks great Khris Middleton. Now a starter for the Washington Wizards, Middleton will return to Milwaukee with an upset in mind, alongside teammates CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert, Alex Sarr and another former Buck, AJ Johnson.

New York Knicks

Oct. 28 and Feb. 27 | 7 p.m.

One of the more intriguing rivalries in the modern NBA era is Bucks-Knicks. There’s no telling exactly when the matchup became a rivalry, and it doesn’t really matter – it’s one of the most exciting fixtures on the calendar every year. Somewhere between Giannis dunking over Tim Hardaway Jr. and Giannis’ fadeaway game-winner at Madison Square Garden, a rivalry was born. The Knicks, fresh off New York’s first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years and a near-MVP campaign for Jalen Brunson, are looking to rekindle last year’s magic.  

Rivals

Chicago Bulls

Feb. 3 | 7 p.m.

Okay, rivalry might be a bit much for this one, but history and geography keep this one unpredictable, intense and must-see TV. Just 90 miles separate Chicago and Milwaukee, and while the two teams enter the season with different goals, the Bucks and Bulls will give each other everything they’ve got. Chicago’s young roster, with standouts Coby White, Josh Giddey and Ayo Dosunmu, will look to down the Bucks at home at the mid-point of the season in the non-NBA Cup edition of the I-94 rivalry.

Indiana Pacers

Feb. 6 and March 15

If Homer were alive today, there’s a good chance this series would inspire his next work. It’s got everything Greek epics are made of. The stuff of legend and urban folklore that has only intensified with age. The rivalry with the Pacers dates back to 2023. Giannis scored a franchise record 64 points. The Pacers ran off with the ball. Chaos ensued, and there’s been bad blood ever since. They know each other, they don’t like each other, and it shows. After a premature postseason exit in the first round at the hands of the Indiana squad, the Bucks picked up career Pacer Myles Turner, adding yet another layer to this contentious series.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Feb. 25 and March 17 | 7 p.m.

This one doesn’t quite have the heat to it that the Pacers or Bulls series does, but if the Bucks are going to contend in the Eastern Conference this year, they’ll have to show up against last year’s Eastern Conference regular-season leaders. One of the more stable rosters, they’re led by Donovan Mitchell and the twin towers of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. After adding Lonzo Ball, the Cavs will look to prove that they are the team to beat this season.

NBA Cup

As the defending NBA Cup champions, the Milwaukee Bucks will look to repeat as in-season tournament winners with a new roster and a renewed hunger for hardware. Here’s who they’ll face:

Chicago Bulls

Nov. 7 | 7 p.m.

The February matchup with the Bulls isn’t the first time the Bucks will face their Windy City compatriots. The first taste of the I-94 rivalry comes with a little extra flair. Kicking off the four-game season series in November, the Bucks host the Bulls in Milwaukee’s first NBA Cup game.
 

Charlotte Hornets

Nov. 14 | 7 p.m.

The second Cup Night comes just a week later, as the Bucks host Charlotte. The Hornets enter this season with realistic playoff expectations. They have one of the most exciting young duos in the game with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, along with the additions of Collin Sexton, Miles Bridges and rookie Kon Knueppel.
 

Away Games

• Miami Heat
  Nov. 26 | 6:30 p.m.

• New York Knicks
  Nov. 28 | 6:30 p.m.

Western Conference Matchups

Los Angeles Lakers

Nov. 15 | 7 p.m.

The Lakers swung big last season. They landed Luka Doncic in a blockbuster trade, giving the new-look Los Angeles squad their next superstar. They retained their core of Dalton Knecht, Austin Reeves and Rui Hachimura. They brought in DeAndre Ayton. Oh, and they still have the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James. Do you really need more reasons to circle this one on your calendar?

Minnesota Timberwolves

Jan. 13 | 7 p.m.

After falling short in the Western Conference Finals, the T-Wolves are back with dreams of breaking through for Minnesota’s first Finals appearance ever. The roster features phenom Ant Edwards and co-star Julius Randle, in addition to fan favorite Naz Reid, Rudy Gobert and a talented cast of role players that are hungry for hardware and rolling into Milwaukee shortly after the New Year.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Jan. 21 | 8:30 p.m.

The reigning NBA Champions roll into town in January, bringing 2025 MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Fiserv Forum. It’s a rematch of the 2024 NBA Cup Championship and a hopeful Finals preview, with marquee matchups all over the court.

Denver Nuggets

Jan. 23 | 7 p.m.

This one’s a game of strength vs. strength. Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo facing off on a Friday night at Fiserv Forum; what more can you really ask for?

San Antonio Spurs

March 28 | 2 p.m.
Giannis vs. Wemby. The Greek Freak vs. the Alien. Two of the major forces in the NBA will face off near the end of the season in a matchup that very much lived up to the hype last season.

Los Angeles Clippers

March 29 | 2:30 p.m.

The Clippers made a lot of headlines this offseason. Some of them actually involved basketball. They had an influx of talent, with trades and free agent signings like Bradley Beal, John Collins and Brook Lopez, adding to an already loaded roster headlined by Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.  The Clippers will likely be one of the front-runners in the Western Conference, making this game a litmus test for the Deer as they play their way into postseason form.

Cheer the Deer