PHILADELPHIA (NBA.com exclusive) --  After a lackluster performance in their season opener Wednesday at Orlando, one would expect the Philadelphia 76ers to play with more passion in their home opener.

They did.

It just took longer than anticipated in their 99-86 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.

Trailing 47-41 at halftime, the fans groaned as the teams entered their respective locker rooms.

The second half was different.

The Sixers began executing coach Eddie Jordan's Princeton-style offense with much more precision. They locked down on defense and limited the Bucks to one shot, something which didn't happen during the first 24 minutes.

"We took it personal at halftime," said Sixers forward Elton Brand. "The coaches didn't need to say too much to us. We knew what we were doing wrong."

One move which seemed to spark the Sixers was Jordan's decision to play his big men -- Samuel Dalembert and Marreese Speights -- together for stretches in the third quarter.

Speights was particularly effective and gave the Sixers a big lift with several offensive rebounds. The Sixers have to be encouraged by Speights' play in the first two games. Following a career-best 26-point performance on 10-for-11 shooting against the Magic, Speights had four points and seven rebounds (four offensive) in 12 minutes off the bench against the Bucks.

As a team, Philadelphia did a much better job defending the 3-point line. The Sixers allowed Orlando to connect on 16-of-29 from three-point territory.

"We didn't play well [against Orlando]," Jordan said. "It's one game."

This was an improvement as the Bucks shot 7-for-23 from beyond the arc.

Milwaukee, meanwhile, will likely be a work in progress this season. The last of 30 teams to take the floor, the Bucks lagged in their half-court offensive sets for much of the second half.

For a team which has missed the playoffs each of the past three seasons, it was not an ideal start. But coach Scott Skiles is optimistic because he really likes his team's work ethic.

"My team has been a really good practice group," Skiles said.

The Bucks were 34-48 last season, playing much of the season without guard Michael Redd (knee) and center Andrew Bogut (back). Losing Richard Jefferson, Charlie Villanueva and Ramon Sessions certainly will have an impact.

So will rookie point guard Brandon Jennings. In his first NBA game, Jennings hardly looked fazed.

In fact, he was terrific.

"I have been excited for this for a long time," Jennings said. "It's been my dream to play in the NBA. I'm excited for the whole season."

The 20-year-old Jennings, the 10th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, nearly had a triple-double in his debut with 17 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.

"Brandon is going to be a very good player," Sixers guard Willie Green said. "He's confident. I've heard a lot of good things about him. I think he has a very bright future."

Philadelphia's debut in Orlando did not go well, most notably the big three of Brand, Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young. The trio scored 24 points on 8-for-27 shooting in their opener. On Friday, the three combined for 49 points on 17-for-33 shooting.

"We have a lot of guys who can score the ball," Iguodala said. "For us, it's about getting stops on the defensive end. Then we get energy and we can get out and run."

More importantly, the Sixers had balance as six players scored in double figures. Without a true star such as Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, the Sixers realize they need everyone to contribute in every game.

That's how they'll be successful.

"We might not have a superstar," Jordan said. "But, we have 13 stars. If they're great in their roles, we'll be a very good team."