Myles Turner of the Bucs bowed out in returning to Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS — Myles Turner was hoping that after everything he did for the Indiana Pacers that his longtime fans would at least treat him politely and warmly in the first game against his former team.

Instead, he heard boos – all night.

They started from the moment the public address announcer introduced his advance video tribute. Every time Turner touches the ball, scores a point or checks in on the play, the painful series of jitters will start all over again.

“It was disappointing. Man, it was disappointing,” he said after helping the Milwaukee Bucks pull out a 117-115 victory on their old home court. “You give 10 years of your life, your blood, sweat and tears, you take pay cuts, you avoid trade rumors, you try to do everything the right way and then sometimes the stuff ends up being good, you know, I’ll take it on a stick.”

Turner certainly had people on his side.

His family sat in the courtroom and received a hug beforehand from John Halliburton, father of Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Halliburton.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said before the game that he expected Turner to get the warm reception he deserved. Bucs coach Doc Rivers said after the game that he was disappointed with how it all played out. And in between, Turner took time to check in on former teammates and thank members of the Pacers training staff for what they did during their first decade in the league.

His new teammates had his back.

“Myles needed him and we all needed him,” Bucks guard Cole Anthony said. “It was a hostile environment for him, especially tonight. I think they booed him every time he got the ball or checked into the game, so I’m definitely glad we were able to get it done for him.”

Turner was the longest-tenured Pacer in franchise history and thought he would have experienced nearly every possible environment imaginable in Indianapolis, from appearances in the NBA Finals to the All-Star Game. Then came Monday.

“I was joking with the guys that I’ve never seen the visitors’ locker room, I didn’t even know what it looked like, so it’s definitely a different area to say the least,” he said after the morning shootaround.

Turner’s decision to leave the Pacers in free agency and sign with the rival Bucks sparked fan outrage.

Word of Turner’s surprise departure leaked less than two weeks after Halliburton went down with a torn Achilles tendon in the first half of a Game 7 loss to Oklahoma City, and management had already said re-signing Turner was an offseason priority.

“I’m sure it’s an emotional thing for him,” Rivers said of Turner’s return. “I’ve done it and it’s very easy to do as a coach. You get fired, go back, very easy.”

Some fans were just angry Turner took a four-year, $107 million contract and ran away. Others were disappointed by his post-signing comments about wanting to play for a team that would be competitive this season or in a city that would “celebrate him.”

Turner tried to clarify those comments several times and took more time Monday to explain his intentions. That wasn’t the case for fans who apparently haven’t forgotten or forgiven the Texan, who became a two-time NBA block champion in Indy.

“There’s definitely a human element to this thing that people never understand,” Turner said. “I was here when I was 19. I grew up here, that’s all I know, so it’s hard to come back to a place where there’s nothing but hate and smell. I think there’s a lot of people who appreciate what I’ve done for the city.”

Turner finished with nine points, seven rebounds and five blocks on a night where he went 3 of 7 from the field. His replacement in Indiana, Isaiah Jackson, finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds – his most single-game scoring since January 2022.

But Giannis Antetokounmpo’s buzzer-beating mid-range jumper at least allowed Turner to leave town victorious.

“I think it’s all about love at the end of the day,” Turner said, referring to his former teammates. “You know there’s a lot of people who, you know, show love too. But we’re rivals now, you know what I mean? So there’s a thing outside of basketball. But when it comes between the lines, you know what it is now.”