Sixers vs. Bucks takeaways: Joel Embiid unfazed by lackluster night, and Kelly Oubre’s fast start

MILWAUKEE – Kelly Oubre Jr. is already a 76ers fan favorite.

Joel Embiid knows he’ll play better. And Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is losing milestones in the Cream City.

Those three things stood out in the Milwaukee Bucks’ 118-117 season-opener victory over the Sixers Thursday at Fiserv Forum.

Here are the three takeaways:

The reserve forward says he’s still trying to figure out his Sixers landscape.

“The only thing that I can do is control the energy that I bring to the table,” Oubre said. “... Now, it’s about being consistent and tapping back into that.”

» READ MORE: Sixers fall 118-117 to Bucks as Joel Embiid struggles to find rhythm in season-opening loss

Oubre could go down as one of the Sixers’ best acquisitions in recent history. He scored 27 points on 9-for-11 shooting, including 5 of 6 three-pointers. He scored 10 points on 3-for-3 shooting in the first quarter. This is exceptional for someone that signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Sixers this offseason.

The reigning MVP was passive, missed shots he routinely makes and late getting back on defense. He finished with 24 points on 9-for-21 shooting and committed seven turnovers. Embiid scored just four points on 2-for-8 shooting in the fourth quarter.

But he isn’t concerned about his lackluster performance.

Embiid realizes he and the Sixers need to play better. He’s also aware this could be associated with his “ramping up” process -- he only played in the final of four preseason games.

» READ MORE: James Harden, the Sixers’ airport fiasco, and an NBA that has jumped the shark

“We just followed whatever [the team’s medical staff] want, but that was the plan,” Embiid said of being rusty due to missing the three preseason games. “It’s not the first time that this happened. It’s a long season and we’re gonna be fine. It’s the first game of the season. We can’t come in here and expect to drop 40 or 50. It’s gonna come. It’s gonna happen.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 23 points to pass Abdul-Jabbar for the most made field goals in Bucks history at 5,905. Abdul-Jabbar made 5,902 during his six seasons with the Bucks.

» READ MORE: How will Nick Nurse coach the Sixers? These moments from his Raptors tenure provide clues

Also, Damian Lillard’s 39 points were the most points by a player in his Bucks debut. He surpassed Terry Cummings’ 34 in 1984 and the 29 by Abdul-Jabbar in 1969.