News Bucks Team Notes

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Pacers Player Grades: Ryan gets rollin’ and Porter gets scootin’ as Bucks out-pace Indiana

The Milwaukee Bucks got back in the win column after a convincing 111-94 win over the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. After a back-and-forth first quarter, the Bucks held the Pacers scoreless for nearly three minutes to start the second, building a double-digit lead from which they wouldn’t look back (despite the inevitable Pacers run in the fourth). Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

View Link

Player Grades​

Kevin Porter Jr.​

38 minutes, 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 8/13 FG, 2/3 3PT, 6/9 FT, +16

Porter continued his strong play in this one, filling up the stat sheet once again. He consistently put pressure on the rim and was at it again with his opportunistic defence with three steals. More importantly, Porter was under much more control than he has been recently, finishing with just one turnover, and his 11 last-quarter points were pivotal as the Bucks struggled to score and the Pacers brought it too close for comfort. He’s been asked to do a lot lately—too much, really—but this is the Porter the Bucks need. Bravo.

Grade: A-

Myles Turner​

28 minutes, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, 4/14 FG, 1/8 3PT, –3

Turner couldn’t get his shot to fall on a consistent basis, but the attitudinal shift was noteworthy. He was aggressive early and often, looking to score, moving the ball decisively, and swatting shots at the rim—his three blocks were his most since he had four against Portland 12 games ago. If he maintains this aggression, the results will come.

Grade: C+

Kyle Kuzma​

35 minutes, 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 5 turnovers, 5 fouls, 5/12 FG, 1/3 3PT, +5

Kuzma had a few rough sequences, particularly in the second half when he got the raw end of the whistle; overall though, he played quite an effective game. He had two offensive rebound put-backs that came at opportune times and generally made sound decisions.

Grade: C+

AJ Green​

26 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 5 fouls, 1/6 FG, 1/6 3PT, +2

Green is now just 3/16 from three since returning from injury and it’s clear something still isn’t right. But he did have a moment, splashing a transition three to stunt the Pacers’ momentum in the fourth quarter. Still, if Green is going to play 26 minutes, he needs to contribute more.

Grade: D–

Bobby Portis​

32 minutes, 14 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 6/12 FG, +8

Portis is one of the few Bucks who looks comfortable with the offence running through him; he was productive again with a typical “Bobby Buckets” 14 and nine. BP set the tone on the defensive glass, helping limit the Pacers to just seven offensive rebounds, and even dropped a dime to Jericho Sims for a jam. Importantly, he wasn’t burned by the Pascal Siakam matchup either—Spicy P finished with a very quiet 15 points.

Grade: B

Ryan Rollins​

33 minutes, 23 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 10/15 FG, 2/5 3PT, +18

Rollins put on a masterpiece, sending a message to Doc Rivers to play him more minutes. He missed his first shot but then went on to knock down eight in a row, proving the perfect yin to Porter’s yang. At one point, he hit a crossover-into-step-back three that was reminiscent of Damian Lillard and ended the game with zero turnovers. What more does he have to do?

Grade: A

Jericho Sims​

20 minutes, 6 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, 3/3 FG, +13

Despite coughing it up four times, Sims played another strong game overall. His newfound ability to power dunk without the power dribble (thanks, Finn) has made such a difference to his offensive game; plus, he continues to rebound well. Yes, Sims is limited, but he can be really valuable in his role and was so last night.

Grade: B-

Gary Harris​

16 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 5 fouls, 2/4 FG, 1/2 3PT, +20

Harris continues to be the plus/minus darling of the team, posting a whopping +20 in just 16 minutes of game time. Rarely anything but a steady veteran presence, this game was no different for Harris, who shot when he was open and otherwise kept the ball moving. He just knows how to play.

Grade: C+

Doc Rivers​

For some reason, Rivers brought Rollins off the bench for the third game in a row. He ended up playing 33 minutes; however, with Gary Trent Jr. forced out early with a calf contusion and Green in foul trouble, it remains to be seen if this was Rivers’ intention or not. Otherwise, Doc called two timeouts just a minute apart in the fourth when the Pacers were on a run, and while the Bucks didn’t score immediately out of these, they—along with the substitutions made—did enough to break the momentum.

Grade: C

Limited Minutes: Gary Trent Jr., Amir Coffey.

Garbage Time: Pete Nance, Cole Anthony, Andre Jackson Jr.

DNP-CD: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Mark Sears.

Inactive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo.

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Turner missed his first five shots before finally converting on his sixth. Shortly after, he headed back to the locker room but returned to action late in the second quarter.
• The Pacers were called for a backcourt violation in the first quarter and another in the third. They are now tied with the Philadelphia 76ers and Memphis Grizzlies (6) for most in the league.
• Speaking of violations, Sims was called for an offensive 3-second violation to end the third quarter—the first of the season for a Buck.
• The teams combined to shoot just 3/16 from three in the first quarter, one of which was an absurd Porter turnaround from the corner to beat the shot clock.
• The Bucks held the Pacers scoreless until the 9:26 minute mark of the second quarter while putting up seven points of their own. It would be the defining run of the game.
• Giannis played three-on-three yesterday, suggesting he is ramping up towards a return—possibly this time next week!
• With last night’s game, Rollins has 29 double-digit scoring performances on the season. Last year, he had just 15 in total.
• The Bucks held the Pacers to just 68 points through three quarters and 94 on the night—an opponent low on the season (and just the second time they’ve held a team under 100).

Up Next​

After a Christmas pitstop, the Bucks head to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies for the third leg of their five-game road trip. You can find all the action on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin—tip off is at 7:00 p.m. Central.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...yer-grades-stats-kevin-porter-jr-ryan-rollins

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers Preview & Game Thread: Turner grudge match, round 2

Editor’s note: As you can see from the title, game threads will no longer be posted in The Feed; they will be combined with game previews from now on.

The Milwaukee Bucks play the Indiana Pacers in their second matchup of the season tonight, with the Pacers playing on the second night of a back-to-back. Of course, we all know the bitter rivalry and storylines behind this matchup, with Giannis nailing a game-winner in the early-November matchup to give the Bucks a 1-0 lead on the season against their divisional rivals. Can they make it 2-0 without the big fella? We shall see.

Where We’re At​

The Bucks have lost three straight against the Nets, Raptors, and Timberwolves. On the plus side, they gave the final two opponents a good run for their money, unlike the first one. The most notable development has probably been Ryan Rollins’ move to the bench (and his general minimisation). Granted, Rollins had played poorly over a few games, but I’m not so sure playing him just 23 minutes is the answer. Rollins’ skillset will be needed tonight as an advantage-creator against the Pacers’ pressing defence; I have a feeling he’ll have a good one—if Doc lets him.

On the other hand, the Pacers are on an even worse slide, having lost five in a row, including near-20-point Ls to the lowly Wizards and Pelicans. Although Myles Turner was often the source of frustration for Indy fans, they are finding out that his backups may not be up to the level. And then you obviously consider how much that team relied on Tyrese Haliburton to stir the drink; not having him makes them a way less dynamic outfit. Still, you can bet your bottom dollar that team, and that city, wants to beat the brakes off the Bucks tonight. They’ll be ready.

Injury Report​

For the Bucks Giannis (calf) and Taurean Prince (neck) are both out.

The Pacers are on the second night of a back-to-back, and thus will have their report up by midday.

Player To Watch​

Pascal Siakam is my player to watch. When these teams last played, Siakam got whatever he wanted when Giannis wasn’t guarding him. Well, with Giannis not playing, the Pacers star forward could go off. It will take doubles, stunts, and an overall increased team presence from the Bucks to limit him.

How To Watch​

FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 6:30 p.m. CST.

---

---

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-game...scussion-start-time-tv-schedule-injury-report

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Timberwolves Player Grades: Kevin Porter Jr., Bucks can’t hold on, fumble big lead against Wolves

The Bucks looked like a different team in the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves, leading the entire way, and held a 16-point lead early in the third quarter. But a 23-2 Timberwolves run flipped the game on its head, and the Bucks ended up losers for the third game in a row (and the fifth out of six). Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

View Link

Player Grades​

Kevin Porter Jr.​

37 minutes, 24 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals, 6 turnovers, 8/17 FG, 3/9 3PT, 5/6 FT, -5

Some reckless turnovers aside, Porter was fantastic in this one. Often the only ball handler on court, Porter’s shot-creation for himself and others helped the Bucks build a 16-point lead. His cat-quick reflexes were positive defensively too, leading to four steals, and he had what could have been a momentum-shifting block in the fourth—if only Bobby Portis didn’t inexplicably lose the handle in transition.

Grade: B+

Myles Turner​

38 minutes, 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4/11 FG, 3/8 3PT, -12

If it wasn’t for an eight-point personal run late in the second and a late three in the fourth when the game was all but over, you could have easily thought Turner didn’t play. He was simply invisible for much of the game—a habit that has marred too much of his Bucks tenure thus far—and finished with a team-worst plus/minus of -12, offering little in the way of rim protection. For a player on his contract, Turner simply must produce more.

Grade: D+

Kyle Kuzma​

32 minutes, 12 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 turnovers, 3/5 FG, 6/8 FT, -9

Kuzma got the assignment of guarding Anthony Edwards for much of the night and did an exceptional job, forcing Edwards into 7/24 shooting. Offensively, he played within himself for the most part—though some costly tunnel-vision plays down the stretch did hurt—got to the line more than any other Buck, and attacked the defensive glass. The renaissance season continues—keep it up, Kuz.

Grade: B

Join the conversation!​

Sign up for a user account and get:

• Fewer ads
• Create community posts
• Comment on articles, community posts
• Rec comments, community posts
• New, improved notifications system!

AJ Green​

23 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1/8 FG, 1/8 3PT, -9

Green is on the court for one thing and one thing only—his shooting. Last night, he offered almost nothing in that department, posting his second-worst shooting performance of the season (behind only his “0-for” when he left the game early against Philadelphia). Most of the shots he took were good looks, though, and he needs to keep letting them fly. Perhaps that shoulder still isn’t quite right after all.

Grade: F

Ryan Rollins​

23 minutes, 16 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, 8/17 FG, 2/6 3PT, +5

Rollins came off the bench for the second game in a row and was aggressive on the offensive end, hunting his shot throughout and providing much-needed creation outside of Porter. His minutes have trended downward lately and, for some reason, that continued tonight despite his strong play.

Grade: B

Gary Trent Jr.​

18 minutes, 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2/11 FG, 2/7 3PT, +3

How Trent finished with a positive plus/minus is anyone’s guess—he chucked shots any time he had the chance, including several forced, contested looks from the paint. At one point, he even fumbled a loose ball out of bounds that would’ve led to an uncontested layup. Like Green, when Trent’s shot isn’t falling, he offers little else, and—outside of his 15-game rookie season—he’s now shooting a career-low from the field (including 3/19 over the last two).

Grade: F

Bobby Portis​

39 minutes, 16 points, 11 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 7/17 FG, 2/6 3PT, +6

Tonight was a classic love/hate game from Portis. He put up points and crashed the boards well, arguably outplaying Julius Randle. Yet, his inability to convert shots around the rim once again proved costly, and he just about closed the door on a Bucks comeback when he forgot how to dribble on the aforementioned fast-break opportunity in the fourth.

Grade: C+

Jericho Sims​

19 minutes, 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4/4 FG, 0

Back off the bench, Sims played his role to a T tonight, corralling rebounds and finishing around the rim with authority. He continues to be the only Buck who collects rebounds above the rim and finally seemed to realise he doesn’t have to pound-dribble before dunking—more please. At one point, Sims even showed off his handle with a behind-the-back crossover!

Grade: A

Doc Rivers​

Rivers went to the zone early and often in this one, and it worked in the first half, with the Timberwolves struggling from three. His decision to go big to counter the Wolves’ size was also sound, and he even won a rare coach’s challenge. But limiting Rollins to just 23 minutes with the Bucks so desperate for shot creation—and Green and Trent struggling mightily on a combined 3/18—was just baffling. Horst, it’s time.

Grade: C–

Limited Minutes: Gary Harris

DNP-CD: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey, Andre Jackson Jr., Pete Nance, Mark Sears.

Inactive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo.

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Ryan Rollins came off the bench for the second game in a row and didn’t check in until the 2:34 minute mark of the first quarter. Despite playing just 6:57 in the first half, he put up eight shots.
• The Bucks led for the entire first quarter—the first time this has happened for the season—and continued that throughout the second quarter.
• Prior to tonight’s game, ex-Buck Donte DiVincenzo averaged 14.3 PPG against the Bucks. Tonight he finished with 18 points, offering the distance shooting the Bucks’ shooting guards couldn’t—and the overall versatility they simply don’t have. What could have been.
• Myles Turner scored his first points of the game—a straightaway three-pointer—at the 4:00 minute mark of the second quarter. He hit another from the same spot on very the next possession, then went to the line for two free throws—eight points in one minute and seven seconds.
• Both teams struggled from three in the first half, shooting a combined 12/47 (Milwaukee 8/25; Minnesota 4/22). The Wolves turned that around in the second half, going 10/23, while the Bucks got colder, hitting just 5/20.
• After Porter converted a cutting layup to put the Bucks up 16 early in the third, the Timberwolves went on a 23-2 run to take a five-point lead.
• Working well for much of the night, the Bucks’ zone looked poor to begin the fourth; Terrance Shannon Jr. took advantage, hitting three triples in just over two minutes of action.
• Doc Rivers won a coach’s challenge late in the fourth and then strangely followed it up with a timeout—the Bucks’ final one for the game. When asked about the purpose of this, he said:

“Exactly what we got… It was a tough call because I would have loved to save that timeout. But I’m looking at the score—and we needed to score—and I thought we needed a three. And I thought we needed to do it in under ten seconds, so the only way to do that is by running what we ran.”

• Despite 18 rebounds from Rudy Gobert—and Milwaukee being the worst per-game rebounding team in the league this season—the Bucks out-rebounded the Wolves 51-46. It’s just the sixth time all season they’ve won the battle of the boards.

Up Next​

The Bucks take on the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday for the second leg of their five-game road trip. You can find all the action on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin—tip off is at 6:30 p.m. Central.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...stats-kevin-porter-jr-ryan-rollins-doc-rivers

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Grizzlies 125, Bucks 104

The Milwaukee Bucks fall to the Memphis Grizzlies 125-104, unable to win consecutive games since they did so in the early season. AJ Green was probably the Bucks’ best player with a season-high-tying 20 points on 6/11 from three. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 24 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

Both teams were feeling each other out throughout most of the opening period, with neither gaining much of an advantage. AJ Green got going with two much-needed threes in the opening stanza, while Bobby Portis (nine points) and Kevin Porter Jr. (seven) accounted for much of the scoring elsewhere. For the Grizzlies, Jaren Jackson Jr. put the team on his back, attacking the rack for 10 early points. It was late in the period that the Bucks made their move, going on a 13-2 run; much of that late push was powered by Ryan Rollins, who ended the quarter with an acrobatic and-one finish. Bucks led 35-25 at quarter time.

After a slow first quarter, Ja Morant got going in transition to open the second with consecutive buckets. Myles Turner threw up multiple attempts to foul-bait, none of which worked, but the latest led to another Memphis transition bucket as Doc called a timeout, Bucks up 37-33. In the space of just under four minutes, the Grizz went on a 14-5 run. The Bucks would fail to score a field goal for nearly five minutes as Memphis took full advantage, expanding their lead to double digits. Things really fell apart in the second for the Bucks; they got outscored 35-15 (!) in the period, had seven turnovers, and thus were down 60-50 at half.

The third quarter started out with Memphis extending its lead to 15, a run capped off by a Christian Koloko transition lob. Luckily, the Bucks were able to keep the deficit at around 10 points for the remainder of the quarter. AJ Green and Kyle Kuzma made timely shots, as did Bobby Portis. What was letting the Bucks down was simple lapses in focus; for example, they had the lead down to nine, and then Jericho Sims fouled Santi Aldama on a three. Overall, though, it was an OK quarter for Milwaukee, down 92-83 after three.

The fourth started off well for the Bucks, with Rollins nailing a step-back two and some great defensive possessions in their zone. Unfortunately, a horrendous call on a Morant three let the air out of Milwaukee’s balloon, which was then followed by a Cedric Coward transition triple to bump the lead back up to 12. KPJ nailed a kick-out triple to have the Bucks within 10 at the 6:30 mark; unfortunately, that was followed by a Cam Spencer four-point play. From there, the Grizz just incrementally extended their lead until it was time to get the starters out and prepare for tomorrow’s back-to-back. Bucks take another L.

Stat That Stood Out​

The Bucks turned the ball over a whopping 22 times; KPJ had seven of them. Just can’t win that way.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...s-final-score-recap-aj-green-jaren-jackson-jr

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls Preview & Game Thread: Mid recognizes mid

The Milwaukee Bucks travel to the Chicago Bulls tonight for an epic play-in battle that may feature one Giannis Antetokounmpo. The “rivalry” series started at the Fiserv Forum last month with the Bucks emerging victorious. We’ll see if history repeats itself; it’s been a tale of two offenses recently, with the Bulls (2nd) overpowering the Bucks (30th) over the last five games.

Where We’re At​

It turns out the Bucks struggle without Giannis: they have lost four out of five, with a win against the Pacers. Indiana is actively trying to lose, but that hasn’t been a deterrent to Milwaukee as of late (see: Brooklyn). In times like these, it’s important to take the silver linings where you can. The Bucks have some interesting young pieces that are developing individually and in tandem. It may be living hell watching Doc orchestrate them, but they can shine in spots nonetheless. Of course, in times like these, you also wait for the big guy’s return, which could be tonight.

The Bulls have been historically mid and are living up to it due to a recent hot streak. That’s thanks to a coinkydink of recent scheduling that saw them win two straight against the Cavs and two straight against the Hawks, scoring 126+ in each. Our Old Friends at BlogABull have been holding them accountable as ever, with choice headlines like “The middling calvary has returned, and shockingly that’s not enough,” “Billy Donovan says blame the guy who put this team together,” and “Bulls ‘depth’ has been explored, and exposed.” Ever the critic, they’ve been noticeably more quiet during their recent success (lol).

Injury Report​

It’s a SEGABABA for both teams, so the injury report (and subsequently this article) will be updated later today.

UPDATE: Josh Giddey is fittingly questionable for the Bulls (left ankle sprain), while Noa Essengue is out (left shoulder surgery).

UPDATE #2: Giannis is questionable for the Bucks with his right calf strain, as is Gary Trent Jr. with his left calf contusion. Of course, Taurean Prince (neck surgery) is out.

Player To Watch​

Ryan Rollins, and specifically his minutes. Play him!

How To Watch​

FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 7:00 p.m. CST.

---

---

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-game...scussion-start-time-tv-schedule-injury-report

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 112, Bulls 103

Giannis Antetokounmpo came back from an eight-game absence with a calf strain, helping the Milwaukee Bucks snap the Chicago Bulls’ five-game win streak at the United Center. The Greek Freak had 29 while Ryan Rollins stepped up in key moments to finish with 20. No Bull had more than Nikola Vucevic and Coby White, each with 16.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

While Giannis loudly announced his return by blocking Matas Buzelis at the rim, the Bucks turned it over on their first two possessions with bad passes, forcing a timeout from Doc Rivers just 81 seconds into the game. Chicago opened on a 10-3 run, but Milwaukee got back into it quickly with a 10-4 run, highlighted by a Giannis triple. Consecutive turnovers by Josh Giddey gave Milwaukee their first lead of the game with 4:53 left in the frame, and a bench lineup anchored by Kyle Kuzma briefly extended it to five. Though it tightened back up, the visitors finished the first ahead 28-26.

On a minute restriction, Giannis exited with 5:48 left in the first, but the Bucks held their own without him well into the second. Four Bulls turnovers in the opening three minutes resulted in a seven-point Milwaukee advantage as Giannis and Myles Turner re-entered at 8:22. And man, did they get rolling. An 8-0 run featured three consecutive Giannis dunks and put the Bucks on top by 13 under two minutes later. Giannis made that four off a nice feed from Kevin Porter Jr. before hitting the pine for the last five minutes. The starters plus Kuz didn’t let it get closer than seven until the closing minute, when two late turnovers—their first since the 10:41 mark of the first—closed the gap to 54-50 Bucks at half.

Both sides traded threes for several minutes out of the locker room, but the Bulls started racking up whistles to keep the Bucks up by as much as eight. Giannis’ shift was done after just over five minutes, and Chicago took advantage with a 7-0 run, slicing their deficit to one. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but offensive rebounding and turnover woes plagued Milwaukee during this stretch as Chicago extended that run to 14-5 and jumped in front with about two minutes left. Badly needed threes by Harris and Bobby Portis, plus Giannis checking back in, staunched the bleeding as the third ended with the Bucks leading 85-80.

Milwaukee couldn’t really hold serve as the fourth began, even with Giannis. He sat with 8:52 remaining, and it was up to the bench bigs, who barely clung onto the lead in the next three minutes before Giannis and Turner were back just past the midpoint. The starters soon reassembled, right around the time when Rollins hit two huge threes. He then grabbed a big offensive board 53 seconds later, which Turner paid off at the rim and made it a six-point game. AJ Green then made it nine with a trey, but four quick Vucevic points made it 103-100 with 90 seconds left. Giannis committed an offensive foul, hit two free throws, made a layup, and had an inbounds violation in that stretch, so they needed a defensive stop with 33 seconds to go, and they got it. Giannis did throw down a fast-break dunk with two seconds on the clock, which drew tons of boos from the United Center crowd and sparked a postgame scuffle. More on that in the extended recap.

Stat That Stood Out​

Milwaukee shot just 22.2% from deep in the first half to Chicago’s 53.3% on three more attempts. But in the second, they flipped that number on its head, shooting 50% to the Bulls’ 21.7%, despite taking five fewer attempts.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...cap-giannis-antetokounmpo-return-ryan-rollins

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Grizzlies Player Grades: Green’s hot shooting spoiled by Porter’s volatility

22 turnovers played a major role in the Milwaukee Bucks’ loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, 125-104. Jaren Jackson Jr. dominated for the Grizz, highlighted by his defensive impact (five blocks). Memphis has now beaten Milwaukee eight times in a row, going back to March 2022. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

View Link

Player Grades​

Kevin Porter Jr.​

33 minutes, 16 points, 5 assists, 8 rebounds, 7 turnovers, 4/15 FG, 1/7 3P, –17

KPJ was bad last night. Just trying to do too much with the ball. Didn’t have it going from a shooting standpoint. He has now has committed six or more turnovers in four of the last five games, which is wild.

Grade: D

Myles Turner​

28 minutes, 8 points, 2/11 FG, 2/6 3P, -6

You know, for most of Myles’ “bad games” this season, I’ve felt myself assigning more blame to others, given his limited ability to self-create—but not this game. I felt Turner was soft on both ends in this one; he kept trying to foul-bait and seemed to find ways not to embrace contact on offence. On defence, he kept letting guys overpower him way too easily.

Grade: D+

Ryan Rollins​

23 minutes, 15 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 5/12 FG, 2/4 3P, -3

Rollins was solid in this one as a lead initiator, certainly better than KPJ. I thought he ran the team well and created good looks for himself. It also felt like Ryan got a horrendous whistle.

Grade: B

AJ Green​

34 minutes, 20 points, 7/13 FG, 6/11 3P, -23

From a process POV, there’s not much to say about AJ’s game that’s much different from his other games; shots just went in last night. His defence can still leave you wanting, but it was nice to see Green get some positive results on the shooting front.

Grade: A-

Kyle Kuzma​

29 minutes, 15 points, 8 rebounds, 5/10 FG, 0/2 3P,-23

This was kind of a meh game for Kuz. He scored relatively efficiently, turning it over just twice, but wasn’t really able to make his teammates better. I thought his defence was fine as well.

Grade: C+

Gary Harris​

16 minutes, 8 points, 3/3 FG, –2

As Zac said in the last extended recap, Harris just knows how to play—and that was no different in this game. He played good defence, converted plays when he had to convert, and even got to the cup off a tough DHO action (given that’s generally not his role).

Grade: B+

Bobby Portis​

35 minutes, 15 points, 12 rebounds, 7/14 FG, 1/5 3P, -23

I thought Bobby’s defence faded as the game went along, but his offence—and specifically his ability to play on the block—was needed. Given the number of minutes he played, I don’t think his plus/minus is representative of his game, which was completely acceptable in my view.

Grade: B

Jericho Sims​

18 minutes, 2 points, 5 rebounds, 1/2 FG, –23

Sims was mostly fine. He’s got to stop setting illegal picks, though; it’s clearly becoming something other teams are scouting.

Grade: C+

Doc Rivers​

I want to stress that, by and large, I do think this team has been making progress over the last few weeks, which has to be credited, in part, to Doc. The wheels kind of fell off last night, but I want to see what the team looks like in the coming games and if this one was an aberration. After all, the Grizzlies have quite literally dominated the Bucks for years now. I will say that Ryan Rollins, although he did have five fouls by the end, should still not be playing just 23 minutes.

Grade: C

Limited minutes: Amir Coffey

Garbage time: Cole Anthony, Pete Nance, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Andre Jackson Jr.

Inactive: Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo, Mark Sears, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Gary Trent Jr.

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Doc put the turnovers down to not moving the ball: “I thought when the ball stopped was when the turnovers went up. We started trying to make our [own] plays; our spacing got bad. Every possession we moved the ball, we got whatever shot we wanted.”
• On KPJ’s persistent individual turnover issues, Doc wants him “just to be solid.” Said he thinks one mistake is leading to the next, and that he must grow in that area.
• Ryan Rollins continues to get no love from the refs; every 50/50 call seems to go against him.

Up Next​

The Bucks back up tonight against the Chicago Bulls; Giannis is expected to play! Catch the game on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 7:00 p.m. Central.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...-player-grades-stats-aj-green-kevin-porter-jr

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Bulls Player Grades: Ryan Rollins is clutch in Giannis’ big return

Taking out the Bulls at the United Center last night, the Bucks salvaged the second half of their back-to-back with their second road win in three games—no small feat for this year’s squad. Milwaukee has defeated Chicago in both of their matchups so far. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.

View Link

Player Grades​

Giannis Antetokounmpo​

25 minutes, 29 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 1 steal, 1 block, 10/15 FG, 1/3 3P, 8/10 FT, +13

Watching him get cooking in the second quarter was a sight for sore eyes. It didn’t matter how many defenders Chicago threw at him—he got to the rim. In a four-possession stretch encompassing 1:27 of game time, he had four dunks. And to top it off, he was great at the line.

Grade: A+

Myles Turner​

27 minutes, 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4/9 FG, 2/5 3P, 3/4 FT, +11

Though he didn’t register a block, he was pretty stout inside, and his minutes largely mirrored Giannis’. Chicago shot just 20/35 in the restricted area, and most of that had to do with him. Both of his threes came early in the third quarter, but were difference makers: each raised the Bucks’ win probability by 4–6%.

Grade: B+

Kevin Porter Jr.​

39 minutes, 8 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 turnovers, 4 steals, 3/10 FG, 0/3 3P, 2/2 FT, +8

Another rough shooting night, but he was all over the passing lanes: three of his steals came in the second quarter and helped key the Bucks to their biggest lead of the night. At just 7/25 from the field in the last two games, I do wish he’d take fewer trips on the Tough Shot Express, but he’s finding his teammates in the right places so that makes up for it somewhat.

Grade: B

AJ Green​

28 minutes, 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2/9 FG, 2/8 3P, +14

Also not a banner night from the field, but I thought Green got better defensively as the game went on. Nice to see after he really struggled on that end in Memphis the other night. His second triple with just under three minutes left might have sealed the W.

Grade: B–

Ryan Rollins​

35 minutes, 20 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 turnover, 2 steals, 4 fouls, 7/12 FG, 5/9 3P, -2

The plus-minus gets this one wrong. A sublime second half for Rylo: his consecutive threes on either side of the five-minute mark of the fourth decisively swung the momentum back towards the Bucks after the Bulls cut it to one. Not to be outdone, he snagged two critical offensive boards in the last four minutes; the first may have been just as big as one of the treys. These are veteran plays. Big-time plays. Winning plays. To top it off, he did the lion’s share of work on Josh Giddey, teaming with KPJ to hold the Aussie to 13 points on 4/10 shooting. THIS IS WHY YOU START HIM.

Grade: A+

Kyle Kuzma​

23 minutes, 12 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 4/10 FG, 0/2 3P, 4/4 FT, –2

When Giannis sat, Kuz was generally taking charge of the offense in the first half, even bringing the ball up a bit. He managed to be a steadying presence in those minutes. But like against the Grizzlies, he ends up on the floor way too much after attacking the rim, looking for fouls. It just didn’t burn them last night.

Grade: B

Bobby Portis​

24 minutes, 17 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, 7/16 FG, 2/3 3P, -9

Pretty aggressive in looking for his own shot and very strong on the boards (four of the offensive variety). Rim protection wasn’t half bad either, and he too found his way into the passing lanes. The plus-minus kind of misses here too; I thought he helped more than he hurt.

Grade: B

Jericho Sims​

17 minutes, 4 points, 6 rebounds, 2/2 FG, +4

KPJ found him for lobs a couple times, and he was no small part of the rim protection success. Just needs to control the ball a bit better inside and not take as many—or any—dribbles.

Grade: B-

Gary Harris​

22 minutes, 3 points, 1 steal, 1/3 FG, 1/3 3P, x/x FT, +10

Nothing really stood out positively, but definitely nothing stood out negatively either. He guarded up pretty well on the larger Bulls’ wings like Kevin Huerter.

Grade: B-

Doc Rivers​

Before the game, Doc talked about why Rollins had been playing comparatively less in recent weeks:

“I split him and Scoot up. I like him and Scoot together when Giannis plays. But when Giannis doesn’t play, I don’t like him and Scoot together. We need that separation, and so starting Scoot means Rollins off the bench.”

Well, this certainly proved as much, though I don’t see why they couldn’t have been staggered, or still getting 30+ minutes for Rollins even as Porter continues playing 38–39 every night. Otherwise, good timeout, challenge usages, and the rotations worked well enough even with Giannis on a minute restriction.

Grade: B+

DNP-CD: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey, Andre Jackson Jr., Pete Nance

Inactive: Alex Antetokounmpo, Taurean Prince, Mark Sears, Gary Trent Jr.

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Rollins hit the deck hard on defense late in the second, limped a few times down the court before a stoppage allowed him to sub out. The replay showed knee-to-knee contact; he didn’t head to the locker room until half, though, with a brace on his left knee. But he came out for the second half and shedded the brace, saying post-game that it was only a bruise.
• This wasn’t a terrible rebounding game for Milwaukee (52-47), and while Chicago had a 16-11 edge on the offensive glass, they doubled them up 6-3 in the fourth quarter. Portis and Rollins had four of them. Definitely a reason the Bucks held on.
• Giannis threw down a windmill with two seconds left, and the Bulls (and their fans) took exception to what one could say is poor sportsmanship, resulting in a postgame skirmish. Here’s why Giannis said he did it:

“What, we’re 11th in the East?… 12th? Just gotta keep finding our identity. And if that is to get a little bit scrappy at the end, so be it. Like, we’re not the champs. Why should we play the clock out and have respect and fair play?We’re fighting for our lives right now. This is real talk. I’ve been [in the league] 13 years; if we keep losing, brother, probably half of the team’s not gonna be here. I really don’t care. At the end of the day, I just want to be available, be healthy, and help my team win. And if that’s what has to happen for them—everybody—to wake up and understand we’re fighting for our lives and we gotta get our hands dirty, so be it.”

• Doc excused it too, saying that while Giannis should have dribbled it out, he’s just “happy to be back.”
• It seems unlikely much will come of the “fight” as far as punishment. Coby White and Nikola Vucevic got in Giannis’ face about it, then Portis barreled in as he’s wont to do, but no one swung or made much physical contact. Postgame, Doc called it a “2026 fight” and “far from the Malice at the Palace.” But it will juice up a rivalry that’s never been very bitter (at least on the court) between these two franchises, so that’s fun.

Up Next​

Milwaukee will try once again to win consecutive games for the first time since October as they head to Charlotte on Monday. Tip vs. the Hornets is 6 p.m. Central on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...ades-stats-giannis-antetokounmpo-ryan-rollins

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte Hornets Preview & Game Thread: Taking advantage of opportunity

The Milwaukee Bucks tonight do battle with the much-improved Charlotte Hornets, who sit just below the Bucks in the standings. The season series between these teams is 1-1, with Charlotte taking the first game by double digits and the Bucks taking the second in an OT thriller.

Where We’re At​

The Bucks have a long way to go, but Saturday’s win against the Bulls was a step in the right direction. Giannis returned and looked as good as ever, dropping 29 points (on 10/15 shooting) and eight rebounds. Of course, the Bucks were blown out by the Grizzlies (who just lost to the Wizards) the night prior and have given fans little reason to believe as of yet. Fun fact: the Bucks are now the only team that has not won back-to-back games since October—that needs to change soon (hopefully tonight).

Unlike past seasons, the Hornets have looked like a functional NBA team this year. Their core of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller (who they just got back), Kon Knueppel, and Miles Bridges just makes sense. Thus, it’s no surprise that this team just beat the Orlando Magic (without the services of Rookie of the Year contender Knueppel for the entire second half, I might add). Simply put, the Hornets are dangerous, having beaten the Cavs, Raptors, and Hawks this season. The Bucks must be ready.

Injury Report​

For the Bucks, Taurean Prince (neck) is out. Gary Trent Jr. (calf) is questionable.

For the Hornets, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Kon Knueppel, Mason Plumlee, and Grant Williams are all out. Sion James is questionable.

Player To Watch​

Let’s go with Myles Turner. His shooting has improved significantly when he plays alongside Giannis. Turner has a 62.5% true shooting percentage with GA on the court (363 minutes), which drops to 53.0% with him off (530 minutes); credit to Nathan Marzion on Twitter for that nugget. We’ve all been somewhat disappointed in Myles thus far, but the whole point of him was that he would work well with the big fella. Let’s hope for some better play going forward.

How To Watch​

FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 6:00 p.m. CST.

---

---

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-game...scussion-start-time-tv-schedule-injury-report

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 123, Hornets 113

The Milwaukee Bucks have finally won consecutive games on the back of big performances from their bigs. Portis led the way with 25 points off the bench, but it was Myles Turner who was the steady force throughout (23 points on the night) and Giannis finishing things off late that enabled the Bucks to overcome Charlotte’s backcourt of Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball who combined for 57 points.

NBA.com Box Score.

Game Recap​

The game began with a Brandon Miller airball and the teams combined for another four consecutive misses, but a LaMelo Ball playground three from the left corner broke the cylinder and then threes to Kevin Porter Jr. and Myles Turner got the scoreboard ticking over. Coming off his dunk-fest against the Bulls, Giannis was in attack mode early in this one and was irate when Miller stuffed him at the rim trying to get his third of the quarter, leading to the game’s first timeout. An AJ Green drive-by layup gave the Bucks an 8-0 run and 16-9 lead halfway through the quarter, but when Colin Sexton hit a floater to cap a 9-2 Hornets run the scores were tied at 21. The final two minutes of the quarter mirrored the game’s opening moments—mainly misses—though Bobby Portis made up for an earlier three-point shooting foul on Brandon Miller with a buzzer-beating bank shot and the Hornets’ lead was one, 26-25.

Porter opened the second with a mid-range jumper, rebound, and assist sequence, giving the Bucks a three-point lead, though Miller erased that with an and-one in the paint and, after three early turnovers—the last leading to a Moussa Diabaté transition dunk that gave the Hornets the lead—Doc Rivers was forced into a timeout. It worked too—Bobby Portis hit consecutive threes and Giannis converted an and-one to give the Bucks a 38-33 lead with 8:48 on the clock. Three minutes later, though, the Hornets had their largest lead of the night on the back of a 15-3 run bookended by Sexton triples. Timeout, Bucks. The Hornets’ lead built to as much as 11 on the back of their hot shooting from distance (12/23 3PT for the half), but Ryan Rollins found his rhythm to end the quarter, scoring nine points in the final 3:31, and the Bucks kept the scores close—the half ending with the Hornets up 66-63.

Following a mid-range basket by Porter and rolling dunk by Turner to open the second half, the Bucks had their first lead since the 7:20 minute mark of the second quarter. The scores would go back and forth for the first half of the third quarter, highlighted by a Ball to Miller alley-oop and blocks at the rim by Turner, Porter, and Diabaté. Turner continued his strong play with a right corner three and pair of free throws and, despite the Hornets cleaning up the offensive glass—including three on one possession—the Bucks found themselves up 87-82 with 3:48 to go and they would have ended the quarter up by six if not for an ill-advised Gary Harris foul on a heavily trapped Sexton on the baseline with just one second remaining. Sexton split the free throws and the Bucks went into the fourth up 95-89.

Ball made it a one possession game with a three to begin the fourth and then backed it up with another from Chino Hills—the Hornets’ 16th of the game—to tie it, but Portis felt the buzz and showed his own, hitting not one, not two, but three in a row. And when Giannis spun baseline into a reverse layup that forced the Hornets into a timeout, the Bucks held their biggest lead of the night, 106-97. Point-blank misses at the rim by Josh Green and Diabaté led to a BP bucket—his 11th point of the quarter and 25th of the night—and the crowd fell silent, but a Miller and-one poster dunk on Kyle Kuzma brought the arena back to life and soon enough chants of “Defence” helped the Hornets to cut it to five, 114-109, with just 3:12 left. Out of their timeout, a Rollins and Turner pick and roll basket gave the Bucks some breathing room and another Giannis baseline spin—this time from the left block—forced their Hornets into a timeout of their own. A Giannis and-one dunk out of the timeout gave the Bucks a 12-point lead and effectively ended things for the Hornets—time of death 1:21 in the fourth.

Stat That Stood Out​

The Bucks have struggled with rebounding and turnovers all season. Tonight, the former of these continued as they finished with just 31 rebounds (5 offensive, 26 defensive) compared to the Hornets’ 47 (17 offensive, 30 defensive). However, they only turned the ball over eight times, compared to the Hornets’ 13 (including six from Ball). That’s progress.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...score-recap-bobby-portis-myles-turner-giannis

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Hornets Player Grades: Bobby Portis, Bucks bigs get in their bags; silence the buzz

For the first time since the fifth game of the season, the Bucks are winners of two in a row, pulling away from the Hornets in the fourth quarter to win by 10. The victory gives the Bucks a 2-1 season lead over the Hornets and concludes their five-game road trip on a positive note—winners of three of the five with a two-game home-stand to come. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

View Link

Player Grades​

Giannis Antetokounmpo​

25 minutes, 24 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 11/16 FG, 0/1 3PT, 2/4 FT, +4

The Brandon Miller block at the rim notwithstanding, Giannis got whatever he wanted offensively, spinning his way to dunks and layups throughout the night, and the assists are always nice to see. He did make some poor choices, though—overlooking a wide-open AJ Green in the corner in an attempt to draw a shooting foul stands out—and, like all of the Bucks, his rebounding left something to be desired. Gee, it’s good to have him back, though.

Grade: B+

Kevin Porter Jr.​

38 minutes, 15 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 6/13 FG, 1/3 3PT, 2/2 FT, +5

Porter has rightly been criticised for his haphazard ball security recently, but boy did he address that last night. Finishing with just one turnover to go along with his 11 assists, Porter played the role of facilitator superbly. He seldom forced anything and, although the Hornets’ backcourt scored heavily, he contributed to their inefficiency (Ball and Miller combined to shoot just 18/45 and had seven turnovers). Keep it coming, Scoot!

Grade: A-

Ryan Rollins​

31 minutes, 13 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 3/10 FG, 2/4 3PT, 5/6 FT, +7

Rollins was relatively quiet overall last night, finishing with his lowest scoring total in six games, but the Bucks would’ve lost this game without him. His stretch to end the first half—nine points, an assist, and a pass that led to free throws—kept the Bucks in it when the Hornets were on a tear.

Grade: C+

Myles Turner​

31 minutes, 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks, 7/12 FG, 3/5 3PT, 6/6 FT, +7

Heading into last night’s game, Turner was in a funk: 11.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 0.9 BPG on just 35% from the field and 32% from three over his prior 11 games and career-low averages nearly across the board on the season. Against the Hornets, though, Turner looked like the guy the Horst was hoping for when he signed him in the offseason. Turner anchored the Bucks on both ends and, stats aside, it was his physicality that stood out—he looked to make shots (and drew fouls because of that), rather than trying to draw fouls (and throwing up prayers). This is the new benchmark.

Grade: A

AJ Green​

27 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2/6 FG, 1/5 3PT, +16

Green stole Gary Harris’ “plus/minus with minimal counting stats” crown last night and, despite the poor shooting and limited numbers, the eye test backed it up. He even showed off a new wrinkle—a drive-by layup in the first—and his gravity still helped the spacing. Bigger picture, though, there are still reasons for concern: outside of his hot shooting performance against the Grizzlies, Green is now just 6/29 from three since returning from injury.

Grade: D+

Kyle Kuzma​

26 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3/7 FG, /2 3PT, +13

Kuzma has a tendency to stand out—both when he’s playing well and when he’s actively hurting the team. Against the Hornets, it was the opposite as he faded into the background while the Bucks’ other bigs did the damage. Sometimes it’s your night and, on others, you just have to not hurt your team. Last night, Kuzma did the latter, and ironically, that stood out.

Grade: C–

Bobby Portis​

23 minutes, 25 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 8/12 FG, 5/7 3PT, 4/4 FT, -5

Bobby. Gets. Buckets—and last night was no different. When the game was there to be won in the fourth quarter, it was Portis who stepped up, scoring 11 of the Bucks’ 28 points, including nine in a row after Ball tied it early in the quarter. On the downside, he only had two rebounds, often falling to box out Moussa Diabaté (who had six offensive caroms). But rebounding is a bigger, team-wide issue, and overall, Portis was great.

Grade: B+

Gary Trent Jr.​

20 minutes, 9 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3/6 FG, 3/5 3PT, +2

Back in action after missing the last two games, Trent—sporting a new ‘fro—was a valuable contributor off the bench in this one, thanks mainly to his prowess from deep. He looks much better as a finisher of plays than a creator; hopefully, this is the start of his return to form after struggling for much of the season.

Grade: C+

Gary Harris​

17 minutes, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1/2 3PT, +6

Harris had a very typical game from a box score perspective. On the court, it was good to see him swish a three from the left corner after air-balling one earlier and, despite his poor foul on Colin Sexton to end the third quarter, continued to showcase his heady veteran play.

Grade: C

Doc Rivers​

Rivers did what he was supposed to do in this one. He called timeouts when they were needed, and it was good to see the team come out of these with adjustments, including personnel—too often recently it’s felt like the Bucks have called for a timeout only to return with the same team on the court that needed the timeout to begin with. Limiting Sims’ minutes was an interesting choice considering the team’s rebounding challenges, but it was the right one with the Bucks nearly at full strength and Turner and Portis’ play.

Grade: B

Limited Minutes: Jericho Sims.

DNP-CD: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Cole Anthony, Andre Jackson Jr., Pete Nance, Mark Sears.

Inactive: Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo.

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Miles Bridges left the game at the 4:54 mark of the first quarter with an ankle injury and did not return.
• At half time, Miller and Ball combined to score 31 points on 6/14 from three. In the second half, they converted just 3/11.
• The Bucks—shooting a league-worst 72.8% on free throws for the season—shot 9/9 in the first half and finished the game shooting 19/22 (86%).
• The Bucks’ 31 total rebounds were their worst since securing just 27 against the Houston Rockets on the 9th of November. Want more? The Hornets had more individual players get offensive rebounds (10) than the Bucks had offensive rebounds as a team (five).
• With just eight turnovers on the night, the Bucks tied their season-best total (they also had just eight against the Washington Wizards on opening night). They also had more steals (nine) than turnovers for the first time this season.
• Speaking of turnovers, after the game Porter spoke about his offensive progress (he has 20 assists to just five turnovers) following the loss to the Grizzlies:

“Just emptying out my mind. I feel like I try to be perfect a little too much and was trying to make reads. But, you know, just simplifying it and going at my own pace and trusting my work… that’s been working for me.”

• In his media availability, Turner spoke often about “embracing being uncomfortable.” This is a reminder that players are people too and Turner—playing in a new place for the first time in a decade—is still finding his feet in Milwaukee. Last night, he was great; the best is still yet to come, though, folks. Believe it.
• The Bucks are now just four games behind the Orlando Magic for the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference. Never give up!

Up Next​

Having finished the road trip, the Bucks have today off before hosting the Washington Wizards at Fiserv Forum tomorrow. You can find all the action on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin—tip off is at 7:00 p.m. Central.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...rades-stats-bobby-portis-myles-turner-giannis

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Giannis expected to return tonight vs. Bulls

Good news! Eric Nehm, Bucks beat writer for The Athletic, has reported that the Bucks expect Giannis Antetokounmpo to return from his right calf strain tonight against the Chicago Bulls (pending his clearing pregame fitness testing). It is safe to assume he will be on some sort of minutes restriction as the Bucks ramp him up to his standard minute load.

Antetokounmpo went down in the opening minutes of Milwaukee’s December 4 game against the Detroit Pistons and has missed the last eight games, with the Bucks winning two of those. Giannis’ return comes at a good time, with the Bucks’ next five opponents having .500 or below records (Chicago, Charlotte x2, Washington, and Sacramento). Hopefully, the big fella can juice the team on both ends and help nab some wins in the immediate future.

The Bulls have been playing out of their skin of late, winning six of their last seven games, five of which came against teams currently in the Eastern Conference playoff picture; like the Bucks, the Bulls are also on a back-to-back, having beaten the Philadelphia 76ers last night. Giannis has appeared in 17 games this season and is averaging 28.9 PPG, 6.1 APG, and 10.1 RPG on 63.9% shooting from the field.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-inju...port-giannis-calf-strain-return-chicago-bulls

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Deer Diaries Episode 227: Ba Humbug

The Milwaukee Bucks keep finding ways to put themselves on the naughty list. Prior to Tuesday’s win against the Pacers, Kyle and Jack discussed their two losses to the Raptors and Timberwolves and how the Bucks are struggling on offense in various ways. Then they discuss Giannis’ new injury update and how the extended absence can make things more complicated for the Bucks (with Giannis’ media appearance not giving Bucks fans complete reassurance).

Jack highlights how the Bucks being “buyers ” is a lose-lose situation for the short- and long-term, while Kyle wonders if the Bucks have hit rock bottom and, if not, what will it take to get there.

Then, to end, Jack has some more Aussie slang, Kyle reviews a classic Christmas movie, and they try to predict the road games this week.

We appreciate you listening and wish you a Happy Holidays.

You can watch our faces move to match the audio over on Brew Hoop’s YouTube channel:

Here it is on Apple Podcasts:

View Link

For those on Spotify:

And it is available everywhere else MP3 files are shared on the web!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-podc...227-ba-humbug-milwaukee-bucks-podcast-giannis

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Washington Wizards Preview & Game Thread: Ending 2025 on a high?

The Milwaukee Bucks have, for the most part, done their job over the last week (or so), beating teams they should beat, which must continue tonight against the Washington Wizards in their final game of 2025. The season series currently sits at one game apiece, with the Bucks beating the Wiz on opening night, but Washington surprising Milwaukee on December 2.

Where We’re At​

The Bucks have taken care of the Pacers, Bulls, and Hornets of late, while dropping one to the Grizzlies. Of course, having Giannis back helps enormously. Everyone knew that if the Bucks were going to have any shot at getting out of this hole, they’d have to stack wins in this part of the schedule, because their January slate is tough. And to Milwaukee’s credit, they’ve started to turn the boat around. Tonight’s matchup is another test against a Washington team that has played .500 ball over its last eight games.

The Wizards come in boasting recent victories over the Grizzlies (twice) and Raptors. One major development for them has been the ascension of rookie Tre Johnson, who just dropped a career-high 24 points against the Suns; Johnson is averaging 13.1 PPG through December, shooting 42% from deep. CJ McCollum has averaged 19.6 PPG and 4.1 APG this month, and we know all too well what Khris Middleton can do. In summary, this is a team that, even with some injuries, is playing a cohesive brand of basketball right now.

Injury Report​

For the Bucks, Taurean Prince (neck) is out.

For the Wizards, Kyshawn George (hip flexor), Corey Kispert (hamstring), and Cam Whitmore (deep vein thrombosis) are all out. Malaki Branham (calf) is questionable.

Player To Watch​

I mean, there’s just no doubt that Khris Middleton has extra juice for the Bucks. He wants to take the big shots whenever these teams play, and he happened to hit the go-ahead three in the last game. As has been well documented, the Bucks struggle to guard this exact player type because they don’t have great personnel at the wing spot. Kuzma hasn’t worked; Giannis hasn’t worked; Lord knows, Trent and guys of that ilk are too small. It’s just not a good matchup, which makes the “team defence” all the more important.

How To Watch​

FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 7:00 p.m. CST.

---

---

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-game...scussion-start-time-tv-schedule-injury-report

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Wizards 114, Bucks 113

Out of all teams that have given the Milwaukee Bucks trouble, the Washington Wizards have seemingly given them the most, beating Milwaukee 114-113 in their second win over the Bucks this season. CJ McCollum hit the game-winning shot with one second left, and Giannis missed at the buzzer to win it. The Bucks went the entire 2025 portion of the season without a three-game winning streak. Giannis scored 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in his first game back at Fiserv since his injury. Bub Carrington and Alex Sarr led the Wizards with 20 points each.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

For the first time in 28 days, Giannis graced Fiserv Forum, making his presence felt from the jump. He scored 10 of the Bucks’ first 15 points, as Milwaukee took an eight-point lead in the early going. The Wizards did cut it down to two, but a couple of long-range bombs from Myles Turner got it back to eight points with just over three minutes left in the first. From that point, though, the Wizards took control, doubling the Bucks in scoring 12-6. Milwaukee still held the lead, albeit by just two points, heading into the second quarter, 32-30.

Everyone knows how emotional Bobby Portis is, and sometimes that helps. Other times, like tonight, it did not, as Portis punched the padding on the basket, resulting in a technical foul. The Bucks were up six when that happened, and the Wizards turned it into a 10-0 run to take their first lead of the game with 6:44 left in the stanza. The Bucks were able to flip the script, though; in the final 2:12, they battled back from an eight-point deficit, going on a 10-2 run to tie the game at 62-62 in the final minute. Yet it was Washington who got the final bucket of the first half, with CJ McCollum nailing a late three, giving the Wizards a 65-62 lead heading into the locker room. The three-point shot was the big difference, as the Wizards shot 6/6 in the frame, while the Bucks shot 3/8 from distance.

Milwaukee got off to a good start in the third, with Turner hitting his third triple of the night and Giannis getting a layup to go. Washington responded with their hot shooting performance, going on a 10-1 run to take an eight-point lead before Doc Rivers called a timeout. The Bucks responded in kind, tightening their defense on the three-point shot and bringing out their 2-3 zone. Washington missed three straight from distance, and the Bucks took advantage with eight straight points to take a one-point lead, 76-75 at the six-minute mark. Neither team got much separation for the rest of the quarter, trading buckets down the stretch. Kyle Kuzma, on his second basket of the quarter, broke the tie with 26 seconds left, giving the Bucks an 88-86 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Bub Carrington got white hot to start the fourth, dropping three consecutive bombs to give the Wizards a 99-91 lead. The Bucks would stage a comeback, though, as AJ Green’s third three of the night sparked a 7-0 run. Both sides hit a rut offensively, with the Bucks trailing by three, as they went nearly three full minutes without scoring. Luckily, Ryan Rollins hit a clutch triple to tie the game at 110-110 with 2:02 left. The Bucks then took and kept the lead momentarily thanks to a Turner free throw and a monster block on the other end. Giannis extended that lead to three, 113-110, with 33.2 seconds left. But it wasn’t over yet, with the wily McCollum quickly hitting a layup on the ensuing possession. Then, after missed shots from KPJ and Giannis, CJ came the other way in a mad scramble and nailed a mid-range jumper to give Washington the lead with one second left. Out of the timeout, Giannis’ fading mid-range jumper rimmed out, sealing the loss.

Stat That Stood Out​

It was a bad night for the Bucks’ bench, while the Wizards’ reserves paid enormous dividends for the visitors. On the night, Milwaukee’s bench was outscored 52-23, with just one Bucks player scoring in double figures (Bobby Portis with 13 points). Meanwhile, Bub Carrington and Julian Champagnie combined for 32 and shot 50% from three-point range.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...core-recap-bub-carrington-giannis-cj-mccollum

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Wizards Player Grades: Giannis’ Herculean performance can’t overcome teamwide malaise

The Milwaukee Bucks will have to look to 2026 for their first three-game winning streak of the season, as they lost 114-113 to the Washington Wizards for the second time this month. CJ McCollum spoiled Giannis’ return to Fiserv Forum, as he nailed a mid-range jumper with one second left after the Bucks held a three-point lead with 33 seconds on the clock. The Wizards now hold the season series edge 2-1 over the Bucks. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

View Link

Player Grades​

Giannis Antetokounmpo​

28 minutes, 33 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 turnovers, 12/20 FG, 9/14 FT, -4

Giannis gave the fans a show, despite still being on a minutes restriction in his third game back from injury. His absence during the third quarter while the Wizards made a push was felt throughout the rest of the game.

Grade: A

Myles Turner​

31 minutes, 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals, 4/6 3PT, +12

This was definitely one of the better games for Turner, especially on the defensive end with a season-high five blocks. You’d have liked to see him make a two-pointer, as he went 0/4 on those, but it was still a strong game from the man in the middle.

Grade: B+

Kevin Porter Jr.​

39 minutes, 19 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 9/17 FG, 1/7 3PT, +10

Porter was a good secondary scorer last night, but he seemed lost at times defensively. Need more for KPJ on that end.

Grade: B-

Ryan Rollins​

39 minutes, 16 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 5/13 FG, 4/7 3PT, +3

While Rollins struggled from the field, he played a solid game overall. He hit a big-time three to tie the game late, and was one of the Bucks’ better defensive players.

Grade: B

AJ Green​

34 minutes, 9 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 3/8 3PT, +12

Green continues to shake off the rust, having one of his better shooting games since coming off the AC joint injury. He also had some really good individual defensive moments against Tre Johnson and McCollum, despite the game-winning shot being hit over him.

Grade: B-

Bobby Portis​

20 minutes, 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 4/11 FG, 3/6 3PT, 2/2 FT, -11

The 13 points are a bit deceiving, because this was a below-average game for BP. He got called for a technical for punching the basket padding after not getting a foul call, and was nearly unplayable after that. He did hit some big threes later on, but it was not the best day at the office for Portis.

Grade: C–

Kyle Kuzma​

21 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 2/3 FG, 1/2 FT, -5

Kuzma was largely invisible last night. He did make a layup and a dunk but didn’t have much of an impact outside of that.

Grade: C-

Gary Trent Jr.​

15 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 0/4 FG, 0/3 3PT, -12

The new ‘do didn’t help GTJ. He couldn’t get his shot to fall and his defense wasn’t good. He continues to be the plus/minus victim, but last night’s number was mostly self-inflicted.

Grade: D

Gary Harris​

11 minutes, 5 points, 2/2 FG, 1/1 3PT, -10

Harris has really become a solid end-of-rotation player for the Bucks. Doc praised his ability to do the little things night in and night out. He did just that in this game, despite the plus/minus number not showing it.

Grade: C+

Doc Rivers​

I, and many others here at Brew Hoop, have made the call that Doc Rivers shouldn’t be the head coach of the Bucks anymore. There have been excuses and some legitimate reasons for where the Bucks are at, but there’s no excuse to lose to the Washington Wizards twice in one season, with Giannis healthy for all three games so far. This can’t be excused as an early-season struggle or the team trying to find itself. Under Doc, this is who the team is.

Grade: D–

DNP-CD: Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey, Jericho Sims, Andre Jackson Jr. Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Inactive: Taurean Prince, Pete Nance, Mark Sears, Alex Antetokounmpo

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Doc Rivers didn’t even let the first question finish before saying they didn’t deserve to win last night’s game, calling out what he sees as emotional immaturity:

“We had every shot we wanted at the end of the game, our execution was flawless, even the last play, but sometimes the basketball gods don’t let you win when you don’t play right. We’ve been great the last two games. Tonight, we didn’t pass the ball to each other and we didn’t guard the ball. When you play like that, you lose the game.”

“I don’t know who said it, I think it was Bobby or Myles, that we have to play hard every night, we gotta get out of our feelings. I thought we were in our feelings the whole night tonight, and that’s emotional immaturity that we played with tonight.”

• Giannis agreed with Doc on the idea that the Bucks didn’t deserve to win last night, and gave his own view of where the Bucks sit as they try to figure this out:

“In basketball, sometimes, you play the way you play, you might not deserve to win the game, but you still win the game. Unfortunately, (tonight) wasn’t that night. There’s been a lot of nights I’ve been a part of ugly wins, they call it. I don’t care, when I go back home, I don’t care if it’s ugly or pretty or nasty or dirty, I still love my win.

Coach Doc is not wrong. I think we didn’t play at a high level; we need to trust one another. We kept them in the game too much and at the end of the day, we have to understand that either we are going to build good habits or we’re not. Every game counts right now, so we can go the other way or figure out the way to win games. It’s just hard when maybe some people are trying to do the right thing and other people are not trying to. It can be discouraging at times.”

• After making his fifth and sixth free throws of the night in the second quarter, Giannis passed big man Tom Chambers for 39th all-time in free throw makes. Giannis now has 5,071 and needs just nine more to pass Chet Walker on the list next, who has 5,079 makes.
• Per Justin Garcia, the Bucks ran a zone defense in 15 possessions during the third quarter. The Wizards scored nine points in those possessions, and flipped a seven-point Bucks lead into a two-point Wizards lead heading into the fourth quarter.
• Giannis also became just the 11th player in NBA history to record 80 or more games of 30+ points and 15+ rebounds. It’s the fourth time he’s done it this season, which second in the NBA in those type of games.
• Ryan Rollins scored in double figures for the 33rd time this season, which is a season-high for the 23-year-old.

Up Next​

The Milwaukee Bucks will begin 2026 with their second game of the week against the Charlotte Hornets, this time in Milwaukee. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central time on Friday from Fiserv Forum, and it will be televised on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...is-kevin-porter-jr-myles-turner-gary-trent-jr

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks interested in Michael Porter Jr.

Amid reports that they’re looking to buy ahead of next month’s trade deadline, recent intel from both Sam Amick of The Athletic and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line suggests that the Bucks are in on Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., according to league sources. Milwaukee is “monitoring” the 27-year-old former NBA champion’s situation in Brooklyn, but they are not alone: Fischer relays that Golden State is considering him too, and Detroit might also be a suitor.

I suggested MPJ as a possibility on our most recent episode of Deer Diaries. Jackson and I both approve, while Kyle brought up injuries as a reason he’s not interested. While yes, he has some history there after missing his entire rookie season due to a back injury sustained in his only season of college, requiring a second back surgery, plus missing 73 games in the 2021–22 season with a third back surgery, he’s been largely healthy since. Maybe he had Brook Lopez’s surgeon? In fact, from 2023 to 2025, he missed just five games over two full seasons. He’s missed five this year, but one was a SEGABABA, and the most recent was due to illness. So he seems pretty healthy.

Moving from third fiddle behind Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in Denver to The Guy in Brooklyn has obviously benefitted MPJ in terms of field goal attempts, but it’s worth noting his efficiency has increased as his volume increased by nearly five shots per game. His 62.9% true shooting is only topped by his second season, but he’s now getting to the line nearly twice as often as he ever has before. His three-point percentage remains superb at an even 41%, so he’s basically in line or better with all his previous shooting lines (.496/.410/.812 vs. a career 499/.407/.812). That’s boosted his per-game scoring average to 25.8 PPG, nearly seven more than any of his Nuggets campaigns. He’s also notching a career-best 3.3 APG.

While rostering both a Michael and Kevin of the Porter Jr. (no relation) variety might sound duplicative, the offensive skillset Michael brings seems like a clean fit with Milwaukee at a position of desperate need. His success going from third option to first bodes very well for the shot diet he’d likely see next to Giannis. His usage in Brooklyn is just under 30% with essentially the same volume as Giannis, but if he slid in somewhere between his 13ish FGA/game from the Denver years and the 18.5 he’s taking this year, that should work well in Milwaukee. For reference, Ryan Rollins and KPJ are second and third in attempts per game for the Bucks at around 13.5.

Defensively, things are less certain. He certainly has the size Milwaukee really needs on the wing at 6’10” and a 7’ wingspan, though he’s a good 30 pounds lighter than Giannis. He always played the three as a Nugget as Aaron Gordon took on the tough wing assignments, which wouldn’t really be congruent with how the Bucks prefer using Giannis. While I don’t think he’s the ideal wing stopper Milwaukee could use by any stretch, some say he has improved on D, and he’s always been a great rebounder, another area of significant need. And maybe the Bucks can get by regardless: over the past three weeks, they’ve actually been the league’s 11th-best defense.

Five reasons Nets F Michael Porter Jr. is the Warriors perfect trade deadline target

MPJ might be the best fit the Bucks can find on the trade market among names actually rumored to be available. But at what cost? Recall that this past offseason, Denver had to give up an unprotected 2031 first-round pick to trade him for Cameron Johnson. Brooklyn made them pay dearly for an older player but worse scorer primarily because of his contract: at the time, he had two years and $79.1m remaining on his rookie-scale max extension. A really nice trade for the Nets, and even better since he’s gone on to have a career year. Per Fischer, one league exec says “at worst he’s returned to neutral value, which is a major development.” Brooklyn definitely won’t have to give up assets to get off him, as Denver did.

They could now get another asset moving off him barely six months later, likely a first-round pick. Of the two rivals already discussed, Detroit controls all its future firsts, which makes them really scary. Already one of the East’s best teams and in position to outbid almost anyone with those picks and plenty of young talent, they wouldn’t need to add much to Tobias Harris’ expiring contract to make the numbers work. Harris and, say, Ron Holland plus a future first could give the Pistons their starting frontcourt for years to come (they would get Porter’s Bird rights in summer 2027, letting them offer whatever new contract they like), likely making them the prohibitive favorite in the East. Golden State can trade firsts in 2026–2028 and in 2032, or swaps in 2029 and 2031.

At the moment, the Bucks can only trade one first and a first-round pick swap. Their pick in 2031 or 2032 (whichever isn’t the swap) is very valuable, though, considering how old Giannis would be if he’s still a Buck at that point. Detroit looks likely to pick in the 20s for the foreseeable future, so Milwaukee’s pick may entice Brooklyn more. However, Golden State is one of the oldest teams in the league, and they could start drafting pretty high in the next few years, when Milwaukee’s picks are all elsewhere.

As far as salary goes, the Bucks can offer Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma for the deal to work. This would only add around $2.5m to their payroll, still well underneath the luxury tax threshold. Like Porter, Kuzma has a year left on his contract and would be saving the Nets around $20m next year. Bobby Portis can opt out after next year, so he would be a quasi-expiring contract. Even if he stayed, the Nets would be saving several mil. But perhaps one of these guys would need to be rerouted to another franchise.

I do think Porter would be worth giving up those two and a future first, hopefully with some protections. He fits Milwaukee’s timeline, but more importantly, will give Giannis a younger and offensively gifted running mate that might convince the big fella to stick around, hopefully enough to extend when he becomes eligible next October. In the short-term, he raises the Bucks floor and ceiling quite a bit, even if it’s not to true contention. But I don’t think there’s any single player right now who would necessarily do that, especially with this coaching staff. Also, I think the league needs to do what it can to keep him away from Detroit, which could turn that team into something like a juggernaut.

Amick also reported that Kings guard Malik Monk is also on the Bucks’ radar. After starting a lot for Sacramento this year, the former Sixth Man of the Year runner-up has seen his minutes slashed considerably under Doug Christie. That’s reportedly miffed Monk, and at 14th in the West, the Kings are looking to move off the rest of his contract. He’ll make $20.2m next season and can opt out of $21.6m to become a free agent in 2027 at age 29. While Monk is a helpful stat-stuffer for any team, he’s undersized and pretty limited to the backcourt. He’d be a nice upgrade over Gary Trent Jr., but do the Bucks really need another guard alongside KPJ, Rollins, AJ Green, and even Gary Harris? They’d have to trade one of Portis or Kuzma to acquire Monk, depleting forward and frontcourt depth when it’s already bad. There would have to be some other moves for Monk to make sense.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-rumo...oklyn-nets-kyle-kuzma-bobby-portis-malik-monk

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 122, Hornets 121

The Milwaukee Bucks edged out the Charlotte Hornets 122-121 in a thrilling clutch-time finish tonight. Giannis, who slammed home the game-winning dunk, led all scorers with 30 points, while Ryan Rollins added 29. The Hornets were led by Kon Knueppel, who had 26, and Miles Bridges with 25.

Game Recap​

NBA.com Box Score

The Hornets struck first, with Miles Bridges converting an easy lay on the left block. Milwaukee’s first field goal came off a Giannis “mebound.” The Bucks put an early emphasis on the Greek Freak getting touches down low, and he scored a quick six points in the first five minutes. Charlotte’s forward tandem of Bridges and Brandon Miller was dealing some damage too, and the score was knotted 17-17 with five minutes left in the opening frame. From there, the visitors went on an extended run fueled by some buckets from Tidjane Salaun and the hometown kid Kon Knueppel, ending the first quarter with a 38-24 advantage.

Charlotte was able to keep their lead around 15 for a large chunk of the second quarter, but some free throws from Giannis and Ryan Rollins triggered a 12-4 run for Milwaukee that cut the lead back to single digits by the 4:00 mark. The burst for the Bucks was capped off by a timeout-forcing alley-oop from Rollins to Kyle Kuzma. The highlight play wasn’t enough to spark a full comeback, and the Hornets led 60-51 at the break; however, the home team had the momentum heading into the locker room. Knueppel led all scorers with 17 points at intermission, while Rollins had 15 for the Bucks.

The opening minutes of the second half saw Milwaukee continue their push and shrink the deficit even further, with the big three of Giannis, Rollins, and Kevin Porter Jr. all chipping in some baskets to bring the home team to within just one point at the 7:45 mark. LaMelo Ball put in a layup, but then AJ Green drilled a corner trey to tie things up, completing an 18-9 run. What had the potential to be a disappointing loss turned into a whole new game with the Bucks in control. The green and cream crew reclaimed the lead for the first time since the first quarter when Kuzma banked in a fader at the 5:35 notch. The Buzz City boys weren’t about to roll over and give up, though. The two teams traded some punches, and Miller and Sion James each had a pair of hoops late that ultimately restored a 91-87 lead for the Hornets ahead of the final frame.

Charlotte started to pull away early in the fourth with triples from Bridges, Knueppel, and Collin Sexton. However, Bobby Portis, who had been having a quiet night, made Fiserv Forum erupt in cheers with some big buckets of his own that tied things back up at 102 with seven minutes left. From there, both squads cooled off a bit, and the score was just 111-107, Hornets, when Doc Rivers called a timeout with 3:20 remaining. The Bucks tightened things up with some clutch plays from Giannis and Rollins, and the game was running down to the wire. Kuzma splashed a three-ball with 10 seconds left to give the Bucks a two-point lead, but he gave it right back by allowing an and-one diving finish to Bridges on the next play. Doc called a timeout, and after the stoppage, KPJ and Giannis connected on a pick-and-roll lob. Miller missed a driving layup, and the Bucks escaped with a clutch victory.

Stat That Stood Out​

Ryan Rollins has had some inefficient outings lately, but he finished 11/13 from the floor and 6/7 from three tonight. The kid has a knack for the moment and hit some huge shots in this one. With each big-time game he puts together, he looks more and more like a future star.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...annis-antetokounmpo-ryan-rollins-kon-knueppel

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Hornets Player Grades: A win to remember for Giannis and Ryan Rollins

The Milwaukee Bucks kicked off the new year with an exciting crunch-time win over the Charlotte Hornets last night, capped off by a game-winner from Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks left with more than just a victory, as it was a night of milestones as well for Giannis and Ryan Rollins, the stars of the contest. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.

Player Grades​

Giannis Antetokounmpo​

30 minutes, 30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 11/18 FG, 8/8 FT, +21

Nothing can stop Giannis from being great— a minutes restriction could never hold him back. The Greek Freak posted a point per minute in this one, putting in work in the post and throwing down the game-winning alley-oop while also going perfect from the charity stripe. His performance is slightly blemished by how often he got blown by on the perimeter, though.

Grade: A-

Myles Turner​

22 minutes, 1 point, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 0/4 FG, 0/2 3P, +6

Turner was largely invisible in this one, and he was rightfully on the bench in closing time. He’s getting paid 30-something million bucks and has to score more than one point.

Grade: D

Ryan Rollins​

37 minutes, 29 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 11/13 FG, 6/7 3P, +12

This was an incredible offensive outing for Rollins, the type of game that screams future star. He was part of every big run the Bucks went on, drilling several momentum shots, including a clutch trey late in the fourth. Doc Rivers had high praise for him after the game (see Bonus Bucks Bits). The only thing keeping this from being an A+ for Rylo is how he struggled a bit to stay in front of his man on D.

Grade: A

Kevin Porter Jr.​

36 minutes, 10 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, 4/14 FG, 0/4 3P, +1

KPJ made an impact without scoring much, taking pressure off Giannis by being an effective playmaker with the ball in his hands. His lob pass to the MVP at the end of the game was an awesome read. Inefficiency can’t warrant an A, but Scoot was solid.

Grade: B

AJ Green​

41 minutes, 12 points, 3 assists, 4/13 FG, 3/10 3P, +4

Dairy Bird did his job last night. He didn’t excel in it, as he could have hit another shot or two or defended a little better, but he was trustworthy, hence his team-high 41 minutes played.

Grade: C+

Bobby Portis​

22 minutes, 20 points, 6 rebounds, 7/11 FG, 4/6 3P, -8

The Bucks wouldn’t have won without Bobby’s flurry early in the fourth quarter. He’s been a huge spark for this team more often than not in the past month. As always, though, the big fella had a couple head-scratching defensive moments.

Grade: B+

Kyle Kuzma​

32 minutes, 18 points, 6 rebounds, 7/10 FG, 3/5 3P, -7

Like Rollins, Kuzma felt like a part of every major run Milwaukee put on. He hit his threes, including a clutch one with 10 seconds left, and took smart looks. Overall, an effective game from a guy who’s been memed and slandered so many times.

Grade: B+

Gary Trent Jr.​

17 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 0/3 FG, 0/3 3P, -17

Trent almost had a Tony Snell game last night, saved only by a couple of rebounds. He was a complete non-factor, if not a negative (as his plus/minus implies). GT hasn’t done much of anything for a few weeks now, and that’s got to change, or he’s going to have to start losing minutes to Gary Harris or Andre Jackson Jr.

Grade: F

Doc Rivers​

This game can’t be put in the “Fire Doc” portfolio. Yes, it was closer than you’d hope for against a mediocre Hornets team (although the Bucks are also mediocre right now), but it didn’t feel like the man behind the clipboard was impeding the team at all. It’s not like he can sub in and get stops himself when all his guys are getting blown by and conceding advantages. Doc pressed the right rotation buttons, not riding Bobby Portis’s hot hand to the point of exhaustion and pulling the plug on Myles Turner before he hurt things too much. He also effectively navigated Giannis’ tight minutes restriction in a game where the big man really needed to be on the floor.

Grade: B

Limited Minutes: Jericho Sims

DNP-CD: Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey, Andre Jackson Jr., Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Inactive: Gary Harris, Taurean Prince, Pete Nance, Mark Sears, Alex Antetokounmpo

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• With his 30 point, 10 board, five dime outing, Giannis officially became the all-time leader in 30-10-5 games with 158, which is only fitting considering he’s averaged those totals in three separate seasons.
• Despite that lofty achievement, Giannis passed the game ball along to Ryan Rollins, who hit some milestones of his own: 1,000 career points and a new career-high in three-point makes (6).
• Doc on Giannis, KPJ, and Rollins as a big three: “yeah, just gotta keep building that, keep getting better, Ryan is just playing. I mean, he plays off of Giannis right now better than anyone on our team. Scoot just gives Giannis a chance to get off the ball, so all three have been really good.”
• Charles Lee on offensive rebounding: “It’s also just a competitive advantage that maybe you can find throughout the game because it’s also one of those soul-crushing momentum plays, after you do a great job defensively getting the stop or forcing a tough shot, somebody flying in and getting an offensive rebound or getting a piece of one; it can change the momentum of the game, for sure.” The Hornets didn’t crush the Bucks on the glass tonight, but they have many times in the past. Perhaps Milwaukee needs to take some notes from their former assistant’s philosophy, as they’re currently dead last in offensive rebounds per game league-wide.

Up Next​

Milwaukee will begin a Western Conference road trip with a “Bucks After Dark” game against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday at 8 p.m. CT on FanDuel Sports Network.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...giannis-antetokounmpo-ryan-rollins-doc-rivers

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte Hornets Preview & Game Thread: New Year’s resolutions start now

The Milwaukee Bucks (14-20) open the new year with a home game against the Charlotte Hornets (11-22) tonight at Fiserv Forum as they attempt to wrap up the in-season series. The Bucks currently hold a 2-1 lead over the Hornets, having won their last two matchups, and look to start the new year with a win after a gut-punching home loss to the Washington Wizards to end 2025. Despite back-to-back 30+ performances from Brandon Miller, the Hornets are on a two-game skid, falling to the Golden State Warriors after losing to the Bucks.

Where We’re At​

Prior to the Washington loss, Milwaukee looked to be trending in the right direction, winning consecutive games for the first time since the fifth game of the season and three out of their last four in total. Even with the loss, there’s reason for optimism, largely because of the team’s improved defensive play, with the Bucks ranking sixth in defensive rating (112.5) over the last five games on the back of stringent paint defence—opponents score just 44.8 points in the paint, good for eighth best in the league during this span. They do need to improve their ball movement, though, ranking 28th in assists (29th in assist percentage at 55.7%) and being far too reliant on individual play to generate shots. Unsurprisingly, their turnover ratio ranks in the bottom ten in the league (23rd).

The Hornets, on the other hand, have hung their hats on offence, ranking second (127.0) in offensive rating over the last five, including fifth in assist percentage (69.1%). They’ve been absolutely scorching from three point land too, leading the league with 18.6 3PM at 43%, and most of this comes from their three-headed monster in LaMelo Ball (24.2 PPG, 7.0 APG, 5.4 3PM at 52%), Brandon Miller (23.8 PPG), and Kon Knueppel (18.8 PPG, 4.5 3PM at 62%). In their last meeting, they also destroyed the Bucks on the glass, hauling in 47 total rebounds (including 17 offensive), to just 31 (five offensive) from the Bucks.

Injury Report​

For the Bucks, Taurean Prince (neck) remains out.

The Hornets will be without Mason Plumlee (groin), Grant Williams (knee), and Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow). Miles Bridges didn’t play against the Warriors after leaving the game against the Bucks with an ankle injury in the first quarter, and is questionable, as is Moussa Diabaté, who’s dealing with a sprained right wrist.

Player To Watch​

AJ Green is having a career year so far for the Bucks, averaging 10.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 2.0 APG, while hitting 3.0 3PM at 45%. However, in seven games since returning from injury, his per-game makes have dropped to 2.1, and he’s converting those at just 31% (and just 9/37—24%—if you exclude the 6/11 outlier against the Grizzlies). Against the Hornets, it’s equally concerning. Through three games, Green has put up a meagre 7.0 PPG and 1.3 3PM (33%) in 26.3 MPG. While he’s certainly got his critics, Green’s shooting is invaluable to the Bucks, not only in terms of the points he scores but also in the space he creates for others. This is now quantifiable too, with Green ranking as the Bucks’ best in terms of overall player gravity (4.7), a stat that measures “how much a player pulls defenders towards them above expected, essentially measuring how much attention they draw compared to what the spacing on the floor predicts” (per NBA.com). With the new year offering a fresh start, hopefully Green can get back to his elite distance shooting and put on a show to break free from Charlotte’s shackles.

How To Watch​

FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 7:00 p.m. CST.

---

---

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-game...scussion-start-time-tv-schedule-injury-report