RSS Bucks Team Notes

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Toronto Raptors: The first true test

The Milwaukee Bucks secured an opening-night win over the Washington Wizards, 133-120, but now they face their first road test of the season, traveling north of the border to take on the Toronto Raptors. Milwaukee took the season series against Toronto last year, 3-0. The last time these two teams met was Jan. 17, when the Bucks won 130-112. Giannis had a 35-point, 13-rebound double-double.

Where We’re At​

It was about as good a start as you could’ve hoped for the debut of this new Bucks roster. The ball moved quickly, the team played good defense, and they generally played at a much higher pace. While Milwaukee did have some down moments, particularly during a 14-0 run by the Wizards in the third quarter, Milwaukee did enough to keep Washington at arm’s length to secure the win. Giannis had another strong opening night performance with 37 points and 14 rebounds, while Gary Trent Jr. poured in 17 to be the second leading scorer.

The Raptors come in after an impressive 138-118 win over the team many believed had the best offseason, the Atlanta Hawks. RJ Barrett (the Maple Mamba) had an outstanding offensive performance, leading Toronto with 25 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Last season’s deadline acquisition, Brandon Ingram, slotted himself well next to the other Raptors starters by scoring an efficient 16 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Second-year guard Gradey Dick made a strong early case for himself as a Sixth Man of the Year contender with 21 points on 6/10 shooting and 2/4 from three. Toronto made it very difficult for the Hawks to generate much on offense, limiting them to 42.2% shooting. Of the 15 turnovers the Raptors forced, 10 of them were steals.

Injury Report​

The Bucks will be without Kevin Porter Jr. not only tonight due to a left ankle sprain but also for the second game of their two-game road trip against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team said. The only other player on the report is Giannis, who is listed as possible with a significant toe sprain on his left foot.

The Raptors have two players on the report, with rookie Collin Murray-Boyles (right forearm strain) and Ja’Kobe Walter (illness) listed as questionable.

Player To Watch​

With Porter missing tonight’s game, all eyes will turn to the fourth-year man out of Toledo, Ryan Rollins, to fill in the starting point guard role. As I mentioned in my article yesterday, when it was revealed that Porter would be out for at least the next two games, this isn’t new territory for Rollins. We’ll see how he handles full-court pressure from the Raptors, but it won’t just be on him with ball-handling duties; Giannis and Cole Anthony can also take some of the load off of him.

How To Watch​

FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 5:30 p.m. CDT.

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

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 122, Raptors 116

The Milwaukee Bucks downed the Toronto Raptors, 122-116, to improve to 2-0 on the young season. Giannis was an absolute killer, with 31 points, 20 rebounds (!), and seven assists. Additionally, Cole Anthony and Gary Trent Jr. combined for 43 points. The Raptors were led by Brandon Ingram, who dropped 29 points.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

It was a boxing match to start, with both teams going blow for blow. Giannis was dominant on both ends, with 12 points and some brilliant work as a weak-side rim protector and rebounder. The Raptors were trying to flex their size against the visitors’ smaller lineup, but Milwaukee held its own. Then, Cole Anthony came into the game and gave ‘em five quick points as Toronto called a timeout, down 21-15 with 2:50 left in the first. Barring a few unforced turnovers, the non-Giannis lineup did well to end the quarter, Bucks up 27-19 at the first break.

The Bucks’ scoring dried up to open the second, and they continued to make silly turnovers; ergo, the Raptors came all the way back to grab a 35-33 lead following a Brandon Ingram transition triple. The lead extended after another transition three, this time from second-year man Jamison Battle, as they took their largest lead of the game at seven, up 42-35. Still playing poorly, the Bucks hung around for the next few minutes and made it to a late timeout down 41-47. The Raptors made a point of posting up Brandon Ingram on AJ Green for the rest of the period, and they succeeded. However, some crucial late three-point makes from Ryan Rollins and Gary Trent Jr. had the Bucks just down two at half, 52-54.

The Bucks came out of the locker room much more focused; they were getting good shots and finally knocking down some threes. Toronto held serve for the most part, but an electrifying Ryan Rollins two-fisted flush in transition had the visitors up one, 67-66, at the first timeout. After a bad defensive play, Cole Anthony redeemed himself with another acrobatic finish at the rim to keep the score deadlocked at 74 with about five minutes left in the third. Anthony then got to the free throw line for another three trips, but inexplicably missed 4/6! Bobby Portis then finally got going with consecutive mid-range shots to put the Bucks up three, but Scottie Barnes nailed a corner three to tie the game at 86 going into the fourth.

Toronto began the final frame with consecutive three-point plays, one a three from Battle, the other an and-one from Quickley. The Bucks fired back, though, mainly through Portis, who quickly tapped on another five points, evening the contest at 97. Then, Giannis nailed his second three of the night (because sure, why not?) to put the Bucks up three. But RJ Barrett went to work beating up on the smaller Bucks guards to tie the game, once again, a few minutes later at 105. Cole Anthony and Immanuel Quickley went back and forth a little bit over the next few minutes, and the Bucks were up one point with 3:30 on the clock. Doc then called a timeout and drew up some action for Trent, who flew off a down screen and nailed a crucial three. Cole Anthony then made a bunch of huge plays, getting to the paint and scoring multiple times to put the Bucks up 117-111. Of course, Brandon Ingram nailed a three to reduce the lead to four, but another clutch three from Trent on the next possession put the game away!

Stat That Stood Out​

The Bucks could have made life easier for themselves if they’d hit their free throws at a better rate, going 14/24 on the night.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...is-cole-anthony-scottie-barnes-brandon-ingram

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Raptors: Roadkill up north

In a game that was far from perfect for the Bucks, they managed to pull out a 122-116 victory over the Toronto Raptors. The team had 18 turnovers (most coming in the first half), and didn’t shoot great from three (14/40), but still found a way to gut it out. Giannis was monstrous, and, as will need to be the case all season, a bunch of role players stepped up. Brandon Ingram was Toronto’s top performer with 29 points and six rebounds, while RJ Barrett chipped in 20 points and also accrued six boards. 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​

37 minutes, 31 points, 20 rebounds, seven assists, 11/14 FG, 2/2 3P, 7/12 FT, +18

Giannis was so, so good last night. He dominated what was a super-physical Raptors defence, dissecting every opening and exerting his will on the game. GA was uber-efficient, and the plus/minus truly tells the story; Milwaukee looked great when he was on the floor. Minus the five turnovers (and the two “no, no, no, yes!” three pointers), it was close to a flawless game for the big fella.

Grade: A

Myles Turner​

28 minutes, 4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2/8 FG. 0/3 3P, +12

Turner’s stat line doesn’t look impressive, but aside from missing shots, I don’t think he played poorly at all. Myles’ impact on defence was felt whether he blocked the shot or not, and he takes up so much space down there in the paint that it allows Giannis to “grab and go” much easier. Turner had the second-highest plus/minus on the team, and the eye-test matches that.

Grade: B-

Ryan Rollins​

29 minutes, 13 points, 3 steals, 5/11 FG, 1/5 3P, +3

Rollins is getting more and more comfortable as each game passes, and although he struggled from three again, this was a nice game for him overall. Ryan’s defence remains awesome; he might lead the league in deflections this year. Also, the guy is a sneaky good finisher at the rim; he can finish with either hand in a variety of ways.

Grade: B+

Cole Anthony​

26 minutes, 23 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 9/14 FG, 2/5 3P, +5

The Bucks needed someone other than Giannis to come along for the ride if they were to win this game. Enter, Cole Anthony. Cole was getting two feet in the paint all night long, and his athleticism really pops on a team that can space the floor like Milwaukee can. Now, the free-throw shooting, defence, and turnovers could stand to improve, but for a guard on a minimum contract, you take that production all day. As a famous rapper once said, Cole World.

Grade: A

Gary Trent Jr.​

29 minutes, 20 points, four assists, 7/15 FG, -5

One thing I love about Trent is that he’s never scared of the moment—that was shown in the fourth quarter of this one, when he hit two massive threes. On the whole, GT was solid on both ends. I love the buy-in on defence, but I think it’s fair to say that he’s not someone you should necessarily be relying on to hang with ball-handlers the way you do Ryan Rollins or AJax—we saw that when he was guarding Ingram.

Grade: B+

AJ Green​

25 minutes, 9 points, 3/5 FG, 3/5 3P, +8

This was probably always going to be a game where AJ was minimised to some degree, given the Raptors’ massive lineup. Green didn’t even play badly; I thought his defence was fine, but he was just physically overmatched, having to guard Ingram and/or Barrett for much of the game.

Grade: C+

Bobby Portis​

21 minutes, 11 points, 8 rebounds, 5/13 FG, 1/5 3P, -5

Look, I was happy to see Portis finally hit shots in that second half; it’s felt like he hasn’t made shots since the preseason began. Now, as is the question every year: are isolation mid-rangers good for the offence in the modern NBA? Probably not, but at least he made some last night. On the other end, BP’s defence—whether it be individual or team—has been as bad as ever to open the season, and that’s what this grade reflects. I know his frame limits him to a degree, but I thought he put in a bunch of lazy efforts last night.

Grade: C

Kyle Kuzma​

17 minutes, 8 points, 4/5 FG, -5

Kuzma went down with an ankle injury in this one, but I thought he played another solid game. His defence was good once again, and he let the offence come to him by playing within the system—tick! It sucks that the Bucks are now another player down.

Grade: B+

Taurean Prince​

21 minutes, 3 points, 3 assists, 1/4 FG, +0

TP played his role well in this one. Not a big scoring night, but he did a decent job guarding Ingram down the stretch as Doc upsized the lineup. That’s basically the exact scenario in which TP becomes particularly useful for this team.

Grade: B-

Doc Rivers​

Doc was solid in this one. The decision to set mid-court screens for Giannis when the Raptors were applying full-court pressure was an astute one (though this is probably a general principle for the season as a whole). Also, choosing Cole Anthony to close the game was another good call. The only question I had—and will have going forward—is whether Rivers sticks with all-bench units; Toronto feasted on that unit early in the second.

Grade: B+

limited minutes: Amir Coffey.

DNP-CD: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Gary Harris, Andre Jackson Jr., Mark Sears, and Jericho Sims.

Inactive: Kevin Porter Jr., Pete Nance, and Alex Antetokounmpo.

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Doc’s update on Kuzma’s ankle injury was that it was “a sprain, but not a bad one,” and that he’s “probably day-to-day.”
• Cole Anthony said that in the first half, he was “getting in the paint and spraying the ball [out to teammates].” Then, in the second half, Toronto was “second-guessing themselves in that low-man spot,” thinking that Anthony would keep passing it, which allowed him to look more for his own shot.
• Scottie Barnes scored and then flexed all over an on-the-ground Giannis, and did not receive a tech foul? I guess there’s a new interpretation each year!?

Up Next​

Milwaukee’s road trip continues to Cleveland, where they will face the Cavaliers on Sunday night with a shot to remain unbeaten. Catch the action at 5:00 p.m. Central on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...is-cole-anthony-brandon-ingram-scottie-barnes

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Preview: Proving grounds

The 2-0 Milwaukee Bucks are squaring up against the 1-1 Cleveland Cavaliers on the road tonight. The Cavs emerged victorious in all four meetings between these teams last season, and they’re projected to be just as dangerous this year. This game will be a good litmus test to see where the Bucks stack up in the East.

Where We’re At​

Milwaukee has looked sharp to start the 2025-26 campaign. They’ve earned two solid wins against the Wizards and Raptors, and the process has been as encouraging as the results. This team is clearly working to establish an identity as a high-octane perimeter-oriented offense. Their defense has been respectable too, with most guys showing solid engagement. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been as dominant as ever, averaging 34.0 points, 17.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists, and the role players have been doing their part.

After losing a tight battle to the Knicks to open their season, the Cavaliers bounced back with a dub against the Nets on Friday night. They are also emphasizing perimeter play, leading the league in threes attempted per game so far. Donovan Mitchell is pulling a lot of weight for his squad, averaging 33.0 points. Former Buck Sam Merrill has been an unexpected hero, dropping 20.5 points and 5.5 threes per night while filling in as a starter in Darius Garland’s absence.

Injury Report​

Kevin Porter Jr. remains out for the Bucks with the ankle sprain he suffered in the opener. Kyle Kuzma has been downgraded to questionable after tweaking an ankle against the Raptors. Giannis is probable with a great toe sprain.

The Cavs are without Darius Garland and Max Strus, who are both recovering from offseason surgeries. De’Andre Hunter, who has yet to debut, is questionable with a right knee contusion.

UPDATE: Cole Anthony, the catalyst of the win against Toronto, is also questionable for the Bucks now with a non-COVID illness.

Player To Watch​

Myles Turner has yet to get in a groove, shooting just 30.0% from the field through his first two games as a Buck. Tonight is as good a night as any for him to get going offensively, especially because Cleveland’s frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen can be counted on for big contributions. Even if he can’t get his shot to fall, Turner’s interior defense against Mobley and Allen will be crucial to pulling out a win.

How To Watch​

FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 5:00 p.m. CDT.

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

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Cavaliers 118, Bucks 113

The Milwaukee Bucks lost 118-113 in an ultra-competitive contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who dropped 40 points in 33 minutes, led Milwaukee in a wild third-quarter comeback, but Donovan Mitchell (24 points), Evan Mobley (23) and Sam Merrill (17) silenced their efforts with collected fourth-quarter play. Both teams are now 2-1 on the young season.

Game Recap​

NBA.com Box Score

With Kevin Porter Jr. still injured, the Bucks gave Ryan Rollins another start alongside AJ Green, Gary Trent Jr., Giannis and Myles Turner. The Cavaliers opened with Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and De’Andre Hunter, who made his season debut coming off an injury.

Both teams were engaged on defense from the jump. A full minute passed before the first points of the game were scored by way of a leaning corner shot from Gary Trent Jr. at the end of the shot clock. Tough jumpers over sticky perimeter defenders were flying everywhere. The score was 12-12 halfway through the opening quarter after AJ Green swished a Kevin Durant-esque pullup middie (who knew that was in his bag?). Undrafted rookie Mark Sears checked in for his NBA debut at the 5:00 minute mark, but the young guard looked uncharacteristically (but expectedly) frazzled. He turned it over on his first touch and passed up a wide-open floater a few possessions later, which triggered a timeout for Coach Doc. Sears was promptly benched. Ryan Rollins took his place and scored a quick five points. Taurean Prince dumped the ball off to Jericho Sims for a dunk (Sims’ first field goal of the season) with 10 seconds left, and the Bucks led 31-29 through one period.

Donovan Mitchell wasted no time reknotting the score in the second quarter, blowing by Rollins for a two-handed slam on the first play. Bobby Portis answered with a couple buckets, but he couldn’t prevent a highlight-induced run. Cleveland mounted a mini Cavalanche and built the first double-digit lead of the game for either team at the 4:54 stamp. De’Andre Hunter and Larry Nance Jr. were catalysts for the home team. The Cavs streak extended to 23-9 with a Jarrett Allen dunk at the 3:19 mark, and it felt like things were slipping away for Milwaukee. Giannis leaned forward in his metaphorical chair, giving the guys in green some hope with a combination of buckets, dimes and blocks, but Cleveland kept a 65-56 lead at the half. Sam Merrill and Giannis each scored 14 points for their respective squads in the first two quarters— one expected leader, one not.

The Bucks needed a timeout just over a minute into the second half after two questionable shot attempts from Trent and Myles Turner. Frustration was building for Milwaukee. Cleveland’s advantage rose to 16 points by the 7:40 tick in the third. However, Giannis was aggressively working to flip the script, giving the paint no time to breathe with a storm of drives. His unrelenting willpower eventually changed the tide. He spearheaded a 17-2 run in the latter part of the quarter that cut the lead back down to single digits. Milwaukee’s defense was working hard behind their leader, and the Cavs didn’t hit a field goal for nearly eight minutes. A beautiful AJ Green corner triple made it a three-point game with 1:30 remaining, and then Prince drove in for a layup to put the Bucks within just one. A game trending toward blowout territory turned into a playoff-coded battle by the end of the period, with Cleveland barely holding onto a 86-84 lead. Giannis had 15 points in the quarter alone.

Milwaukee got off to a rough start in the final frame, turning the ball over twice right away. The Cavs were regaining momentum, with Mitchell, Hunter, Evan Mobley and Craig Porter Jr. all chipping in some early buckets. But, the Bucks responded with a 10-0 run despite Giannis taking a short breather. Turner started to come alive, delivering some emphatic swats and hitting a couple timely triples. Giannis continued to dominate after he subbed back in. Milwaukee was fighting so hard, but Cleveland was able to hold them at five-points length. Their lead was 112-106 when Mitchell hit a dagger of a mid-range pull-up with 1:12 remaining. The Cavs had an answer for every Buck basket in the clutch, and they emerged victorious 118-113 in the end.

Stat That Stood Out​

The Cavaliers won the rebound battle, 58-45. The extra possessions and transition looks they generated from crashing the glass allowed them to capture the win despite shooting 6% worse from the field and 9% worse from three than Milwaukee. Volume often beats efficiency in modern basketball.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...ounmpo-40-points-donovan-mitchell-sam-merrill

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Cavaliers: Encouragement, frustration, and Greek-Freakishness

The undermanned Milwaukee Bucks lost 118-113 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a game that had a playoff feel to it. Milwaukee nearly came back and won this one despite some rough stretches, leaving room for encouragement alongside the sting of defeat. This was Cleveland’s sixth straight victory over the Bucks, a streak that dates back to January 2024. 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​

33 minutes, 40 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 14/20 FG, 1/1 3P, 11/16 FT, -5

It’s probably too hyperbolic to say this, but this felt like one of the all-time signature performances from Giannis. The word “dominant” gets thrown around a lot in hoops talk, but the Greek Freak was genuinely dominant in every sense of the word. His unbelievable determination (and talent, of course) stood out above all else in this game. Without him, Milwaukee probably would have gotten flat-out pummeled. If Antetokounmpo keeps performing as incredibly as he has in this young season, he will reclaim the best-in-the-world crown.

Grade: A+

Myles Turner​

31 minutes, 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 5/12 FG, 2/6 3P, +1

Turner was rock-solid on defense last night. His two blocks came at crucial moments in the fourth quarter. However, his offense has been really rough so far in his Bucks career. His shots aren’t falling, which will change, but he’s overall looked like just another Giannis-reliant role player out there when this team needs him to be a key offensive cog on a night-to-night basis.

Grade: C

AJ Green​

31 minutes, 20 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 6/9 FG, 4/7 3P, 4/5 FT, +3

Dairy Bird was laser-focused in this one. He was stuck on automatic from beyond the arc and played the most complete game by any Buck not named Giannis. His four charity-stripe makes set a new career-high.

Grade: A

Gary Trent Jr.​

This is what it can look like when Trent’s shot isn’t falling. He’s a decently disruptive defender, but his potential to impact games falls off a cliff when he isn’t hitting shots, which was the case last night. His -23 plus/minus backs up what the eye test showed: he was the worst player on the floor for either team.

28 minutes, 6 points, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2/9 FG, 1/7 3P, -23

Grade: F

Ryan Rollins​

34 minutes, 14 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 5/11 FG, +7

Rollins contributed across the board as a starter, putting the potential Bucks fans believe in on full display. He was one of the catalysts of Milwaukee’s third-quarter comeback.

Grade: B+

Taurean Prince​

31 minutes, 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block, 3/6 FG, 2/3 3P, +5

Prince did his job last night. He hit timely shots and wasn’t a negative on defense. It was a rare occasion where giving him over 30 minutes felt like the right move.

Grade: B

Bobby Portis​

23 minutes, 10 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 turnovers, 4/10 FG, 2/4 3P

Bobby’s lack of defensive presence sticks out like a sore thumb. Whatever the opposite of NBA2K’s intimidator badge is, he has it equipped. The difference between him and Turner, and even him and Jericho Sims, on that end is so stark it’s infuriating, especially on a night where he’s a total black hole on offense. Love ya, Bobby, but be better, please.

Grade: C-

Mark Sears​

7 minutes, 1 turnover, -5

Undrafted rookie Mark Sears made his NBA debut in this one with Milwaukee needing some help in the backcourt. The usually-poised little guard looked overwhelmed, though, and he couldn’t hang in the contest at all. His woes will hopefully just be a nerve-induced blip in the road.

Grade: D (unfortunately)

Doc Rivers​

Doc mostly pressed the right rotation buttons in this one, and his defensive playcalling was the non-Giannis driver of the third-quarter comeback, as Cleveland had an eight-minute stretch with zero field goals in the period. The man with the clipboard did what he could with a banged-up roster and almost coached an upset victory. He could do more to try and get Myles Turner going moving forward, though, especially when Giannis isn’t on the floor.

Grade: B

Limited Minutes: Amir Coffey, Jericho Sims, Andre Jackson Jr.

DNP-CD: Gary Harris, Pete Nance, Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Inactive: Kevin Porter Jr., Kyle Kuzma, Cole Anthony, Alex Antetokounmpo

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Gary Trent Jr. took a brutally bad shot to start the third quarter that likely had old heads everywhere yelling at the TV. Marques Johnson was certainly frustrated. This should have been a lob to Giannis.
• Doc Rivers on how much contact Giannis plays though, per Eric Nehm: “it’s amazing how many times he gets hit on the arms. It’s like Shaq.”
• Jericho Sims threw down a dunk for his first field goal of the season, which was fitting, because over 75% of his career field goals are slams.

Up Next​

The Bucks will take on the New York Knicks at home at 7:00 p.m. Central on Tuesday, another opportunity to snag an upset win against an Eastern Conference contender that has had their number. You can catch the action on Peacock/NBC and FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...keaways-giannis-donovan-mitchell-myles-turner

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Reacts Survey Results: Fans bullish on record, Giannis’ statline

Earlier in the week, we had our first SB Nation Reacts survey of the year. As we’ll do throughout the year, we’ll focus these on larger picture narratives around the team and leave more time-sensitive questions to our Tuesday Tracker, which you’ll see for the first time in a few days. First off, we asked where you thought the Bucks would finish, and I’m pleasantly surprised to see some real optimism in this year’s squad:

In our roundtable from Wednesday, I picked fourth, which was actually on the optimistic end; all but one of my colleagues picked fifth or sixth. Meanwhile, 71% of voters think they’d do better, with a mere 10% picking them to finish below five, where they slotted last season. With a seemingly wide-open East, and no (extremely) early results suggesting that it won’t be, I certainly can see them finishing third. Better? Probably not, but who knows? If anyone thinks they can be the two seed or higher, I’d be curious to hear how you think that’ll happen.

Next up, a question of statistical benchmarks. Giannis has averaged 30+ in three years straight—four if you round up 29.9 from 2021–22. With Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton gone, almost the entire scoring load falls to him now, which would seem to suggest he’ll make it four (or five) in a row. Nevertheless, it was a topic of discussion among some analysts this offseason whether or not he’d get there, with the rationale being that he’s going to spearhead the offense in ways he hasn’t for years. That would up his assists—the logic goes—while curtailing scoring volume, but what say the voters?

Pretty decisive. I can’t say I disagree, and I’m of the mind that he’ll average 30-plus and notch a career high in assists per game. I think he’s just a 30 PPG scorer at this point in his career—that’s the baseline for him. If he did it with two more heavily-starred iterations of this team (Jrue Holiday/Middleton and Dame/Middleton), that’s even more reason to believe he’ll do it again. He’s averaged 6.5 APG in each of the last two seasons, and I think he’s going to become the 12th player in NBA history to average 30 and seven. Coupled with his rebounding, that’ll put him in even more rarified air, as only two players have ever averaged 30/10/7 in a season: Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-poll...-antetokounmpo-nba-eastern-conference-seeding

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Giannis wins Eastern Conference Player of the Week

The Bucks are off to a 2-1 start on the year, and the East’s first POTW of 2025–26 is Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’s fresh off a three-game stretch where he led the NBA in RPG (16.0) and finished second in PPG (36.0). He was also 14th in the league in APG with 7.0 and shot 68.3% from the field, just outside the top 10 at 11th. The 20 rebounds he accrued on Friday in Toronto are the early-season high for any player.

But that’s not all in terms of superlatives for Giannis. For one, his 40 points on Sunday marked the 55th such game of his career, which ties Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s franchise record. That got him just over 100 points on the young campaign; factoring in his 48 boards and 21 dimes, he’s the first player in NBA history to begin a season with 100/40/15 in his first three contests. He also joins Luka Doncic, Russell Westbrook, and Oscar Robertson as the only players to open their seasons with three consecutive 30/10/5 stat lines. Of those players, he’s the only one who made at least 60% of his shots in each outing.

This is Giannis’ 28th Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors. He won it four times last season, as well as Player of the Month in January. Going back to his second MVP season in 2019–20, he’s been commended for his weeks at least three times per year, with the exception of 2021–22, when he only netted the award once.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-news...aukee-buckseastern-conference-player-week-nba

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Knicks: Doing it for the city

Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his blistering start to the 2025 season as the Bucks took down a top Eastern Conference contender, the New York Knicks, winning 121-111. Milwaukee was winless in three tries versus New York last season. 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​

33 minutes, 37 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, 16/22 FG, 5/7 FT, +18

Giannis continues to build his MVP resume with another impressive stat line. It’s his third straight game of scoring 31+ points and shooting over 70% from the field. Doing it all for “his city.”

Grade: A

Myles Turner​

30 minutes, 5 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, 1/6 FG, 1/5 3PT, 2/2 FT, +18

The offensive struggles continued for Turner, with the third time in four games, he’s failed to shoot over 40% from the field. The defense has been as good as advertised—and then some—and the Bucks have needed it every step of the way.

Grade: B-

Gary Trent Jr.​

30 minutes, 11 points, 4/9 FG, +9

It was a relatively quiet game for Trent, even though we did see him hit a layup while being fouled. When the Bucks needed a dagger, he gave them one, sealing the Bucks’ third win of the season.

Grade: B

Ryan Rollins​

26 minutes, 25 points, 4 assists, 8/11 FG, 4/4 3PT, +12

What a revelation Rollins has been, and tonight proved it again. A new career high in points with 25, and he took the most challenging defensive assignment in guarding Jalen Brunson. The Bucks needed another guy to step up, and Rollins did that in spades.

Grade: A+

AJ Green​

23 minutes, 9 points, 4 fouls, 3/5 3PT, +13

This was going to be another game where Green struggled to match up physically with big wings. Green held his own on that end, and when the Bucks turned it up in the third quarter, he was right in the middle of it with three crucial bombs from beyond the arc.

Grade: B

Cole Anthony​

24 minutes, 4 points, 9 assists, 4 fouls, 2/6 FG, +1

While a C+ might seem harsh, the inefficiencies on the offensive end and the four fouls (even if they are the Brunson calls) take it down a notch. After coming in early for Rollins, who got hit by a Mikal Bridges elbow on a layup, he did a great job of running the ship and dishing the rock.

Grade: C+

Bobby Portis​

16 minutes, 9 points, 2 rebounds, 4/10 FG, -8

This was probably one of Bobby’s better games of the four games we have to look at for this year. But he still had the worst plus/minus on the team and took those dreaded mid-range fadeaway shots again. The arrow is trending slightly up, but not by much.

Grade: C-

Kyle Kuzma​

19 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 0/2 FG, 5/6 FT, -1

I know I just dinged Anthony for the lack of offensive production, but I can’t understate the defensive performance Kuzma had against Karl-Anthony Towns as the small-ball five. It’s the most active on the defensive end I have seen from him in a Bucks uniform. He was part of an effort that limited KAT to 2/12 shooting and just eight points. Towns averaged over 25 a night against the Bucks a season ago.

Grade: A-

Taurean Prince​

21 minutes, 8 points, 3/4 FG, -7

It was another solid performance from Prince. He did a solid enough job defensively, even when pressed into service to guard Brunson with Rollins and Anthony in a bit of foul trouble. The -7 does drop the grade down a bit, but that was more of Rivers leaving him and Coffey on the floor together for longer than needed.

Grade: C+

Amir Coffey​

14 minutes, 8 points, 2/3 FG, -5

An efficient eight points is something you would love to get out of your 10th man in the rotation. There were some down moments for Coffey, but considering his role and the positives he had tonight, it’s easy to overlook some of those lapses.

Grade: B-

Doc Rivers​

Doc leaving in a lineup of Taurean Prince and Amir Coffey together in the second quarter nearly cost the Bucks the game. From the start of the second, Rivers left that lineup in for 5:13 of game time, and the Knicks outscored them 19-14 to take a 45-41 lead. That run led to a 45-point quarter for New York and a double-digit lead at halftime. They did figure it out and pulled out the win, but it was a rough day for Doc against Mike Brown.

Grade: C-

DNP-CD: Gary Harris, Andre Jackson Jr., Jericho Sims, Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Inactive: Kevin Porter Jr., Mark Sears, Pete Nance, Alex Antetokounmpo

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• The Bucks continued their excellent shooting to begin the year, with their fourth consecutive game shooting at least 50% from the field. They are now just one game short of tying the franchise record for consecutive games to open a season shooting 50% or better from the field. The last time they did it was at the beginning of the 1971–72 season.
• Giannis became the sixth player in NBA history with a three-game streak of 30+ points on 70% shooting. It’s also the first time in 29 years that someone has done it, with Shaquille O’Neal accomplishing the feat back in January of 1996.
• After throwing down a monster dunk in the third quarter, Giannis could be seen on the broadcast saying, “This is my city.” There also appeared to be something he said afterwards, which he clarified postgame: “I thrive when it’s tough.”
• As mentioned before, Kuzma was tasked with defending Towns in the post at times and did a stellar job. Kuzma talked about the matchup and his game plan for defending the former All-Star big man:

“Know your personnel, watching games, and understanding what players want to do. I think I’ve been in the league long enough and played against Towns long enough to understand what he wants and what he wants to do. Being out there, being physical, and putting a body on him. A lot of times when you play physical guys, they don’t want you to be physical, so just bringing that attitude and mentality to the game, it probably frustrated [Towns] a little bit.”

• During the fourth quarter, the Bucks held the Knicks scoreless for nearly 4 minutes, helping secure the win. I asked Doc Rivers what he thought of the stretch after the game:

“It’s probably what I’ll focus on the most when I watch the film. I think you can make offensive runs or defensive runs, and I thought tonight we made a defensive run. That’ll build more confidence for our guys.”

• With the New York media in town, you knew that there would be questions surrounding ESPN’s Shams Charania’s report that Giannis preferred the Knicks if he ever left the Bucks. When asked if any of that was a distraction, here was his response:

“I don’t have time, I have four kids. I have a seven-month-old, a two-year-old, a four-year-old, and a five-year-old. So, brother, I don’t have time to read. Even if I wanted to pay attention to things like that, my life doesn’t let me. I have four little gremlins that are running around, I have my craft I have to improve, and then I gotta lead the team, and then I got other things. I got my wife, I got my mother, I got my brothers, I got to go to church, I ain’t got time for all of that. I just love playing basketball, and I try to speak on the court.”

Up Next​

The Bucks have two more home tilts this week, with their next one coming on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central, and you can catch the action on NBA TV and FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...giannis-ryan-rollins-kyle-kuzma-jalen-brunson

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Reacts Survey: Who should be running point in the clutch?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Bucks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Vibes are great around the Bucks right now after taking out the Knicks last night, and doing so somewhat convincingly with a sterling second half: Milwaukee allowed just 40 points after half to one of the Eastern Conference’s best. Maybe we’re getting a bit ahead of ourselves from just a 3-1 start, but after an offseason where the national media cast serious shade on this team and their chances, I think there’s some measure of vindication to be had. So let us dream for a moment, at least until we know how the Bucks stack up against an impressive Warriors squad on Thursday.

If nothing else, it’s because they’ve done this without being fully healthy. A sprained ankle held out sudden rim protector Kyle Kuzma for a game, illness cost Cole Anthony one, and of course, Kevin Porter Jr.‘s ankle sprain has kept him out since the season’s first quarter. Doc Rivers said on Monday that he expects KPJ to return within five or six days, but in the interim, Ryan Rollins has taken the starting point guard spot and ran with it. Last night was the finest game of his career—on national television, no less—and had the former players on NBC’s game coverage abuzz. This has ignited a debate about whether or not he should start, but given how Anthony looked in Toronto with the closing lineup, I think it’s worth discussing who should be running point in crunch time.

So have your say below, and also weigh in on whether or not you think the Bucks can go at least 47-31 the rest of the way. This is where I’ll add that despite a 2-8 start last season, Milwaukee managed 48 wins, so for the final 72 games of last year, they played at a 52-win pace. Early indications is that while this year’s team may look less impressive on paper, they are playing as greater than the sum of their parts; not something that could be said about any Bucks team since Mike Budenholzer roamed the sidelines.

Editor’s note: due to technical difficulties with our survey host, the Tuesday Tracker will begin next week.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-poll...ard-ryan-rollins-kevin-porter-jr-cole-anthony

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Golden State Warriors: Another step up

The Milwaukee Bucks take on the Golden State Warriors tonight in a marquee matchup. Both teams have lost only one game this season and have looked the goods thus far, making this game one to watch. The Warriors dominated the Bucks last season, beating them in both matchups, doing an admirable job guarding Giannis in each game. Draymond Green was a key part of that, but the Dubs also added Al Horford this season—another excellent Giannis defender, even at his age. In short, this promises to be a physical battle, and the way Antetokounmpo handles it will go a long way toward determining the victor.

Where We’re At​

The Bucks have looked legit so far. They sit at 3-1, with wins over the Wizards, Raptors, and Knicks, and their sole loss coming in a close game against the Cavs (when both teams were undermanned). The team is starting to gel and find cohesion as players settle into their roles. Other than Giannis, Ryan Rollins has been the story of late, considering his stellar play two nights ago on both ends against New York. However, Rollins’ performance shouldn’t overshadow the contributions of guys like Kyle Kuzma and Cole Anthony, who continue to play their roles to a T. Once Kevin Porter Jr. returns, this team will look even more deadly.

You can also apply much of the same sentiments to Golden State, who have seemingly continued their terrific play following last season’s trade deadline, when they acquired Jimmy Butler. The Warriors have defeated the Lakers, Nuggets, Grizzlies, and Clippers. This is a team that has always played a beautiful brand of basketball centred around Steph Curry and Draymond Green’s ageless two-man game, but the cherry on top has been the play of the oft-criticised Jonathan Kuminga. As our friends over at Golden State of Mind wrote, Kuminga has grabbed the starting spot he was tentatively given at the start of the season and forced coach Steve Kerr to make it permanent. JK has bought into playing selfless basketball and using the gravity of his future Hall of Fame teammates to his advantage. In short, the Dubs are rolling, and it’ll take an even better effort from the Bucks tonight if they want to get this win as well.

Injury Report​

For the Bucks, Giannis is listed as probable (left knee soreness), while KPJ remains out (left ankle sprain).

For the Warriors, De’Anthony Melton is out (left ACL surgery), as is Alex Toohey (left knee injury recovery), while Moses Moody is questionable (right thumb soreness).

Player To Watch​

I’m going with the aforementioned Jonathan Kuminga. It felt like in past seasons, opponents could bait Kuminga into hijacking Golden State’s “beautiful game” offence and taking over for himself. Whatever the case, Milwaukee will need to get the ball out of Curry and Butler’s hands, which will naturally mean Kuminga has it. For the Bucks’ sake, I hope he isn’t as deadly a passer and playmaker as he’s been to start this season.

How To Watch​

NBA TV and FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 7:00 p.m. CDT.

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

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 120, Warriors 110

The Milwaukee Bucks picked up their fourth win of the season, taking out an early-season Western Conference contender in the Golden State Warriors 120-110, even without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Ryan Rollins followed up his impressive performance from Tuesday night with another career day with his first 30-point game, scoring 32 points on 13/21 shooting. Myles Turner had his best game offensively as a Buck with 17 points on 7/12 shooting. Stephen Curry had 27 points on 8/19 shooting to lead the Warriors.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

Rollins followed up his career performance on Tuesday night with another fast start against Golden State. He rattled off the first five points with a layup and a three-ball off the dribble, as the Bucks took the lead early. The all-star firepower of the Warriors then came into play, with Draymond Green opening the game with a three, Jimmy Butler getting a layup, and Steph Curry hitting three free throws in the frame. It was a struggle to score offensively for players not named Rollins, as the first field goal made by another Buck was Myles Tumer with 5:40 to go in the quarter. Turner seemingly found his stride as he hit another one from distance, giving the Bucks a six point lead with 5:07 to go in the first. After the Warriors stars showed out early, the role players and bench gave them a boost, with Kuminga hitting back-to-back layups to get the Dubs back within one. After the Warriors retook a one point lead, it was all Bucks for the final 1:40 of the quarter. Milwaukee went on a 10-0 run to take a 34-25 lead heading into the second quarter.

After the Bucks pushed their lead up to as many as 10 points early in the second, the Warriors were able to cut it down to just four rather quickly. Enter Bobby Portis, who came in averaging just eight points per game on well below league-average shooting numbers. During his six and a half minutes on the floor in the quarter, he scored 10 points on 4/6 shooting from the field, including two threes. That microwave performance from Porits put the Bucks up by seven points with 5:26 to go in the first half. Golden State battled behind Kuminga and Butler and got it down to a one-point game with 3:37 to play. After being held without a field goal make in the first quarter, Curry started to heat up with a couple of three-pointers, including one that tied the game with 2:34 to play. The Bucks remained ahead or tied down the stretch, and thanks to a Rollins layup with 40 seconds left, Milwaukee went into the locker room up by two, 60-58.

Things continued to remain close between the two out-of-conference foes in the third quarter. Milwaukee did build up a five point lead early, but in a game against the Warriors, that type of lead doesn’t last long. The Dubs went on a 6-0 run to retake the lead with 8:36 on the game clock. Golden State built a lead as high as three during the stanza, but the Bucks never let it get larger than that. After a nearly two-minute scoring drought between the two sides, Milwaukee made their move as Kuzma and Cole Anthony hit back-to-back threes to take a two-point lead with 3:35 left in the third. The Bucks continued to push the advantage, going on another 6-0 run to take an eight-point lead with 1:21 to go thanks to a Rollins layup. Then an old nemesis rose from the dead, as Butler went on a personal 5-0 run to cut the Bucks lead down to three, 87-84, heading into the fourth quarter.

The mosquito fleet of Rollins and Anthony continued to show why they are a match made in heaven. In the early goings of the quarter, the pair scored the first five points to get the Bucks back up by six. Golden State wouldn’t be put away that early, as Buddy Hield hit back-to-back shots for five points to cut the lead back down to just one, 92-91 Milwaukee. After some back and forth, the Bucks created some breathing room. A 5-0 run by the Bucks got them a seven-point lead with 5:42 to go. The Warriors once again got it back within two points, but the incredible performances from Rollins and Turner helped spark the Bucks once again. Milwaukee would hit four threes in six attempts from deep as the crowd from Fiserv popped, with the Bucks leading by 11, 117-106. Golden State made it interesting by getting back within seven, but who else but Rollins would deliver the dagger three.

Stat That Stood Out​

What really made a difference in this game was the defense the Bucks played on Curry all night long. While he did score over 20 points, they didn’t really let him get a rhythm from beyond the arc. He finished the game 4/10 from beyond the arc—not the long-range show that Curry usually gives teams. Major credit to Rollins, Anthony, AJ Green, and Trent down the stretch, especially to close the door on Curry and the Warriors.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...urner-cole-anthony-stephen-curry-jimmy-butler

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Kevin Porter Jr. sustained meniscus injury, out four weeks

Of course, as the good vibes flow for the Bucks, fans have been dealt some bad news: Kevin Porter Jr. sustained a right knee meniscus injury during his on-court return-to-play training yesterday, according to the team.

The injury will require a minor orthopaedic procedure that will sideline him for approximately four weeks. Further updates will be provided as necessary.

We know the value KPJ provides to this team as a change-of-pace guard, and his absence is not easily papered over. Since joining the Bucks last season, Porter averaged 11.7 PPG, 3.7 APG, 3.9 RPG, and 1.3 SPG on 49.4% shooting from the field and 40.8% from three.

That said, the emergence of Ryan Rollins, along with Cole Anthony’s play, will undoubtedly help replace the contributions Porter would have made to the team. We saw just last night that Rollins, in particular, is capable of handling more minutes and on-ball reps. If one of Rollins or Anthony gets injured, though, the guard room becomes very thin.

If fans are searching for “positives,” it is preferable that this injury has occurred early in the season, giving the team plenty of time to gel once KPJ returns. The Bucks play the Sacramento Kings tomorrow afternoon.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-inju...ort-kevin-porter-jr-ryan-rollins-cole-anthony

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Sacramento Kings Preview: The power of friendship

The Milwaukee Bucks face off against the Sacramento Kings this afternoon in a matinee game. Milwaukee beat Sacramento in both matchups last season and has had the wood over them for the past few years.

Where We’re At​

Things are going swimmingly in the Cream City, it’s fair to say, sitting at 4-1 with signature wins over the Knicks and Warriors in their last two games (along with a very close loss to the Cavs). The energy around the team seems to be the best it’s been in a few years, and the guys are really buying into their roles and contributing on both ends; this buy-in is reflected in the raw statistics, with the team ranking in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency thus far.

On the other hand, things are not going quite as well for the Kings, who sit at 1-4. This franchise has looked directionless for quite a while, and this team appears no different. There truly is a mishmash of randomly assorted guys on this squad, including but not limited to: superstars from yesteryear (Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan), helpful-but-maybe-past-it role players (Malik Monk and Dennis Schröder), and promising young guys who are sort of blocked from opportunities (Devin Carter and Keon Ellis). And yet, with all that said, this is still a team with lots of talent that can beat anyone on any given night (especially if Giannis doesn’t play).

Injury Report​

For Milwaukee, Giannis is questionable to play (left patellar tendinopathy), while Kevin Porter Jr. remains out (right meniscus tear).

For Sacramento, Malik Monk (personal reasons) and Keegan Murray (left thumb UCL injury recovery) are out, while rookie Nique Clifford is questionable (right hamstring strain).

Player To Watch​

With Ryan Rollins being the team’s presumed starting point guard (for the foreseeable future, at the very least), opposing teams will increasingly key in on his strengths and weaknesses. I think Rollins is one to watch now, coming off that explosive night against the Warriors. How much attention does he get from the Kings? Who do they put on him? Can he still get to those same looks? Rollins is no secret anymore, and now the real work starts.

How To Watch​

FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 4:00 p.m. CDT.

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

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Kings 135, Bucks 133

The Milwaukee Bucks surprisingly dropped this game to the Sacramento Kings—who were 1-4 coming in—in a controversial fashion by a final score of 135-133. Giannis finished with just 26 points, the first time this season he’s been held under 30, while Kuzma added 22. Zach LaVine led all scorers with 31 points, while DeMar DeRozan had 29 in the winning effort for Sacramento.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

The Bucks got out of the gates quickly against the Kings, making their first five buckets to grab a 15-2 lead before Kings head coach Doug Christie called a timeout. It wasn’t just the offense that got the ball rolling; the Bucks’ defense was tenacious, causing Sacramento to go 1/6 from the field in that span. Milwaukee continued to roll, pushing their lead to as many as 15 points, going up 21-6 with 7:36 to go in the quarter. Sacramento didn’t even hit double figures until a minute later, after Russell Westbrook hit the first of his two free throws. Things got a bit heated between Bobby Portis and Domantas Sabonis after it appeared the pair got tied up. Portis was assessed a taunting technical foul for pointing in the face of Sabonis. That didn’t slow down Milwaukee at all, though, keeping their lead above double figures, thanks to the duo of Giannis and Ryan Rollins, who each got dunks in the lane. Towards the end of the quarter, the Kings did find their footing, getting back within single digits thanks to their bench and the iso heroics of DeMar DeRozan. By the time the first 12 minutes of action had come and gone, the Bucks went 17/24 from the field, 8/13 from three, and scored a first-quarter season high of 47 points, heading into the second up, 47-36.

Familiar Bucks villain Dennis Schroder was causing problems for Milwaukee to begin the second quarter. He scored the first five points for the visitors, cutting the Bucks’ lead to six in short order. While the Kings were running with four guards, the Bucks opted to go bigger, and it worked out somewhat in their favor. The bench was able to build the lead back up to 14 before a Drew Eubanks lob dunk forced head coach Doc Rivers to call a timeout with the Kings down just 10. Then the Bucks went through a 3:33 scoring drought. The lull allowed the Kings to completely erase the lead, down to just three points, with 4:34 to go in the half. The Bucks also ended a 4:46 field goal drought, thanks to a Rollins layup. That bucket helped get the Bucks back in gear, going back up by eight points with a tad over three minutes to go. That advantage didn’t last long, though, as the Kings outscored the Bucks 8-1 over the final 1:28 of game time, leaving the Bucks a minuscule one-point lead heading into the locker room. After scoring 47 in the first, the Bucks were limited to 24 and went 1/7 from the three-point line. The Kings shot 59.1% from the floor (13/22) in the quarter and 5/6 from the charity stripe.

The heat between these two teams got turned up once again. On a drive to the lane from Giannis on a fast break, Westbrook practically bear hugged the big fella, and both sides had words for each other. As for the actual basketball on the floor, the Kings came all the way back, trailing by as many as 15 points, to take the lead. After a couple of Trent free throws gave the Bucks a two-point lead, the Kings came back with seven straight points to take their largest lead of the game to that point at five. Things went from bad to worse for the Bucks, as the three-point shooting for the Kings finally started to get going. LaVine and Schroder made back-to-back bombs to give Sacramento their first double-digit lead of the night at 11. After giving the starters a breather, the Bucks’ bench gave them a boost and helped stop the bleeding. Portis hit a couple of threes, and Kyle Kuzma hit a spinning layup off the baseline to get the Bucks back within six, 102-108, heading into the fourth quarter.

Things started in a rather interesting way. Cole Anthony got tossed just 1:20 in after receiving his second technical of the game for arguing with the officials on foul calls. Out of everyone on the Bucks roster, it was Kuzma who helped keep the Bucks within striking distance. Kuzma scored the first 14 points for Milwaukee in the fourth quarter to make it a six-point game with 5:23 to go. It took until the 3:54 mark of the fourth for a player not named Kuzma to score, as Giannis hit two free throws, to get the Bucks back within six again. The momentum finally seemed to swing back the Bucks’ way after Giannis hit a three-pointer and then threw down a one-handed jam to get the Bucks back within three with 2:35 left in the game. It turned into a nail-biter from there, with neither side gaining much of an edge. After two DeRozan free throws made it a four-point game, Turner hit a clutch corner three to bring it back within one with 51 seconds left. The defense then forced a miss by DeRozan, and they had a chance to take the lead, but Giannis threw the ball off the underneath part of the basket and turned it over. Schroder made two free throws to make it a three-point game, as the Bucks came the other way after a timeout. After two missed shots from AJ Green to tie the game, he was fouled on the floor by LaVine to force two free throws. Green made the first and missed the second intentionally. Giannis grabbed the rebound and appeared to be fouled by Drew Eubanks, but there was no call on the floor, and there was no shot at the rim, sealing the Bucks’ fate.

Stat That Stood Out​

The Bucks struggled to hit their free throws, and it wasn’t just a Giannis problem this go around. While he did miss five of his 14 attempts, Turner missed both of his, Trent missed two, and even Cole Anthony went 1/2 from the line. The total ended up being 20/31 for the Bucks (64.5%), while the Kings were incredibly efficient from the free throw line, going 35/40 (87.5%).

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...iannis-ryan-rollins-demar-derozan-zach-lavine

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Kings Player Grades: Kuzma dazzles in the loss

The Sacramento Kings spoiled Bango’s birthday bash, as they upset the Milwaukee Bucks 135-133. This was the first win for the Kings over Milwaukee since March 12, 2024, and just their second win in their last 18 meetings. 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 Antetokoumpo​

32 minutes, 26 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 8/13 FG, 9/14 FT, 1/1 3PT, -1

It was a slow start for Giannis, who was limited to 10 points on 3/6 shooting in the first half. He scored 16 in the second half, but there were too many times when he was settling for mid-range jumpers instead of going to the lane. Credit to Sacramento’s defense, but it was odd to see him take six mid-range shots and go 2/6 on those.

Grade: B+

Myles Turner​

24 minutes, 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 5 fouls, 3/4 3PT, +2

There was a period in this game where Myles and Bobby ran together for an extended period, and the two nearly played identical minutes. Turner had his moments, mainly that clutch three-point shot in the corner, but his defensive impact wasn’t the same as it had been to start the season.

Grade: C+

Ryan Rollins​

36 minutes, 16 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 8/13 FG, 0/3 3PT, -1

Coming off two career performances against the Knicks and Warriors, Rollins had a quieter game than what we’ve come to expect. There were stretches where he kept the Bucks afloat and was the only one who could get downhill outside of Giannis and Kuzma, but that 0/3 from beyond the arc does sting a little.

Grade: B

Gary Trent Jr.​

32 minutes, 17 points, 2 assists, 4/6 3PT, 3/5 FT, +0

Trent was as solid as ever, and he was slightly more efficient last night than he had been in previous contests. There were moments where the perimeter defense was nonexistent, but GT did enough on offense to counteract that.

Grade: B+

AJ Green​

30 minutes, 17 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 fouls, 6/12 FG, 4/10 3PT, -2

Man, Green had some brutal misses during this one. He did get a pretty good look on his first attempt to tie the game at the end of regulation, but it hit off the back iron. In a tough defensive assignment against DeRozan and LaVine, he did the best he could.

Grade: B

Cole Anthony​

13 minutes, 3 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 2 technical fouls, 1/4 FG, +2

This will be a game to forget for Cole. While he distributed the ball well enough and played some passable defense, receiving two technical fouls is unacceptable. Everyone the press talked to postgame, whether it was Giannis, Turner, or Rivers, said that this was a learning experience for him, but it’s hard to come back from.

Grade: D+

Bobby Portis​

23 minutes, 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 6/9 FG, 2/3 3PT, -5

Stacking another good Bobby performance offensively, which is good to see for his and the Bucks’ sake. Yet, he still had his defensive lapses, and in a game where he often played alongside four guards, it wasn’t the best matchup for him at all.

Grade: B-

Kyle Kuzma​

21 minutes, 22 points, 9/13 FG, 4/4 FT, +2

What a quarter that was for Kuzma in the fourth. He scored the first 16 of the Bucks’ 31 points and kept the home team in it with the rest of the team struggling to get going. I’m never going to begrudge 22 points on high efficiency off the bench, especially when those points come in key moments.

Grade: A

Taurean Prince​

13 minutes, 3 points, 3 rebounds, 1/2 3PT, -5

It was a rough day at the office for the Bucks’ perimeter defense, and Prince is included in that. He didn’t get a ton of looks today, and he only hit one of them, which was a buzzer-beater at the end of the first quarter. Need a little bit more out of him on both ends of the floor.

Grade: C-

Amir Coffey​

14 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 2/3 FG, -2

During his postgame presser, Doc Rivers praised Coffey as the team’s best DeRozan defender, and the eye test backs that up. This was definitely one of his better games of the year, which could lead to more playing time down the road.

Grade: B

Doc Rivers​

It’s hard to dissect Doc’s performance today. He did go 1/2 on challenges today, and I thought the decision to leave Kuzma in for as long as he did was a wise choice. Yet, it’s hard when you give up 135 points to a team that was coming in at 1-4. That should be a win, point-blank.

Grade: C+

Limited Minutes: Jericho Sims

DNP-CD: Andre Jackson Jr., Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Gary Harris

Inactive: Kevin Porter Jr., Mark Sears, Pete Nance, Alex Antetokounmpo

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel conducted the Pool Report interview with crew chief Mitchell Ervin to talk about several of the controversial calls that were or weren’t made tonight. Here is a full transcript of the report:

• Doc Rivers, when asked about the officiating, said that it wasn’t the reason they lost. Here are the rest of his remarks:

“The refs had nothing to do with why we lost this game. I’m sure there’s fouls from the other side they can point to. It’s a human game, it’s a hard game to officate, but we allowed them to have that impact. I don’t know how many years I’ve coached, but I’m going to go on a limb and say, I don’t think I’ve ever lost a game where my team shot almost 60% and shot 47% from the three. You gotta try hard to lose that game and I thought we did.”

• Before today’s game, Doc made a statement on the impending suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (SNAP) due to the ongoing government shutdown, saying that it’s unfair to punish the children who will be going hungry. I transcribed the rest of what he said here:

Doc Rivers’ full comments on SNAP benefits being delayed at the end of his pre-game press conference today:

— Jackson Gross (@jgrossreporter.bsky.social) 2025-11-01T20:27:14.642Z

• Giannis shot 61.5% from the field, marking his fifth straight game with 20+ points on at least 60% shooting. According to Bucks PR, it’s the third-longest such streak of his career and the longest streak in the NBA this season.
• Sporting a black eye, Giannis gave quite a story on how he thinks it happened at a local grocery store:

“I was at Pick and Save, and while I was checking out my groceries, there was this guy who was about to snatch a purse from a lady. So, I was like, ‘Hey, man! What are you doing? Stop!’ So, I went and grabbed him, and he kind of turned and elbowed me in the eye, but then I grabbed him and put him on the floor. I took the purse and gave it to the lady, and then the lady was safe. I paid for her groceries too, because she was in shock. You know, the police came and took the guy in custody, so after that I went back home, did some treatment, and took a nap.”

• With the Indiana Pacers next on the schedule, Turner was asked about his return to Indy:

“At this point, anything I say will be used against me in a court of law. So at this point, I’m just looking forward to coming back to a place that I’ve been for 10 years and hoping for a raucous environment, as it’s been in the past few years that Indiana and the Bucks have played each other.”

Up Next​

It’ll be an emotional day for the Bucks next game on Monday. They’ll be back in Indianapolis for Myles Turner’s first game against the Indiana Pacers since he left them for the Bucks in free agency. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Central and will be available to watch on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...-grades-stats-giannis-kyle-kuzma-ryan-rollins

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Reacts Survey Results: Fan optimism soars on record, Rollins

Last week, I was a little (pleasantly) surprised to see how many Bucks fans were forecasting a high playoff seed for this squad after only one game: 71% of our respondents felt they’d secure home court advantage in their first-round series. That optimism appears to be founded, if Milwaukee’s 4-1 start is any indication, including wins over New York and Golden State (sans Giannis). In keeping with that, we decided to up the ask a little this week, with many of these answers coming in before the Warriors victory last night: can the Bucks win 50 games this season?

An even more decisive majority! In our preseason roundtable, none of us at Brew Hoop felt they’d eclipse 50, which they haven’t done since 2023. The consensus was 45–48 wins—still higher than how most national sources and Vegas felt—and maybe we were a little too bearish. But it’s only been five games, and as we saw last year, these early results don’t have too much bearing on end-of-season finish. Milwaukee was 1-4 through five games in 2024–25, including a couple of really disheartening defeats, and they managed to right the ship to 48 wins. The Suns were 4-1 on Halloween 2024, on their way to 9-1, and finished the year 36046. With all that in mind, I still see no reason why 4-1, with a couple of really encouraging dubs, won’t result in 48 wins or better.

Next up, with the same caveat that a lot of these votes came in before last night, we are again asking about the point guard corps. In the absence of Kevin Porter Jr., the T-Shirt Twins of Ryan Rollins and Cole Anthony have looked simply outstanding. On the heels of back-to-back career-best outings, more than a few folks are wondering if Rollins should keep his starting gig. But for now, what about in the closing lineup?

It might be recency bias, but Rollins’ combination of great (maybe we can even say excellent) on-ball defense, spot-up shooting, and suddenly improved distribution is just what you want from the one in clutch moments. We saw KPJ do it in a similarly small sample size last year too, though, hence the pretty close split between each T-Shirt Twin. At this point, I personally want to see how Porter does upon his return—which I imagine will come in the next few games—before I make any sort of call here. But it’s a good problem to have!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-poll...rvey-ryan-rollins-nba-playoffs-record-50-wins

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 117, Pacers 115

At times chippy, the Bucks survived with a 117-115 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Myles Turner’s return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where he played for 10 seasons. Giannis Antetokounmpo hit a buzzer-beating fadeaway, his first since January 2017, finishing with 33 points and 13 boards. Pascal Siakam was the high man for the Pacers with 32.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

Milwaukee coughed up the ball four times in the first two minutes—a recurring issue with this quad on the young season—but Indiana wasn’t necessarily making them pay. Back-to-back triples from Turner and AJ Green ignited a 13-2 Bucks run, making it 19-9 at the first timeout. Although they went cold during the ensuing minutes, the Bucks never let it get closer than six. Despite seven first-quarter turnovers—which the Pacers only scored two off of—and five misses at the line, the Bucks led 31-22 after one. Turner had four blocks in the frame.

While Giannis exited with 4:28 left in the first, he didn’t re-enter until the 8:21 mark. Meanwhile, a too-big frontcourt of Jericho Sims, Bobby Portis, and Kyle Kuzma let Indy slice the Milwaukee advantage to three. Though Turner soon followed, the Bucks’ struggles from the field continued: they started the game 6/8 but went four for their next 19. The Pacers took their first lead at the midpoint of the quarter thanks to a 17-5 run, extending that to 22-9 and going up five. A couple buckets down low from Giannis—one on the break—soon put Milwaukee back in front with 2:45 remaining. Taurean Prince ended a streak of 12 missed threes moments later, part of a 9-0 run. While a fastbreak and-one swung it back to the Pacers, a Cole Anthony triple with 6.2 seconds on the game clock sent the Bucks into the locker room ahead 56-53. Giannis led all scorers with 19.

Both teams traded baskets after Indiana quickly tied, featuring two thunderous slams from Ryan Rollins and Giannis. Rollins and AJ Green sank consecutive looks from deep to stake Milwaukee back to a nine-point edge midway through the period. That was part of an 18-8 run, but Indy wasn’t going away easily. Milwaukee allowed an 11-2 run to a lineup of Taelon Peter, Ben Shepherd, Aaron Nesmith, Tony Bradley, and Jay Huff, nearly tying the game in the third’s waning minutes. Portis and Prince longballs stopped the bleeding in the final minute, making it 84-77 Bucks through three.

Anthony opened the fourth with a longball of his own, and Kyle Kuzma even got in on the three party as the Bucks jumped back up by 10. The second unit was much more effective starting the fourth as compared to the second, burying their first six attempts from downtown. Remember those 12 consecutive missed threes in the first half? Well, Milwaukee made eight in a row to gain their largest lead at 12. The Bucks went to zone once Giannis checked in, but the starters allowed the Pacers to cut it to five with 4:22 left. That became two thanks to a 13-3 Indiana run, and Doc Rivers called his second timeout in just a minute of gameplay. Siakam tied it at the 2:50 mark, then Gary Trent Jr. and Nesmith treys made it two again with 90 seconds to go. Siakam and AJ Green free throws—after a very ill-advised Giannis three—put the Bucks up two, but a Nesmith layup tied it at 115 with the shot clock off. But Bucks had the ball with 14.5 left, and the call was a Giannis iso. He worked the clock to under five seconds, drove on Nesmith to the FT line, then pivoted onto his back foot for a fadeaway, 16-foot game-winner as the horn sounded.

Stat That Stood Out​

It’s hard to ignore the massive free-throw disparity tonight, but it wasn’t just about volume. Yes, Indiana got to the line a whopping 38 times, hitting 29 of them, but the Bucks were a terrible 13/22 (59.1%) on theirs. It wasn’t just Giannis (4/9, including an 0/2 trip late) either, as Turner, Green, and Sims also missed one of their two attempts.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...nner-buzzer-beater-pascal-siakam-myles-turner

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Pacers Player Grades: Giannis, Myles Turner eke by in Indy

Giannis’ 16-foot fadeaway at the buzzer has the Bucks at 5-2 on the young season with a 117-115 win over the Pacers. It certainly wasn’t a sterling effort with some glaring free-throw shooting, turnover, and defense rebounding issues, but the Bucks are the sixth team to five wins. This is only Milwaukee’s second win in Indiana since the 2022–23 season. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.

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Player Grades​

Giannis Antetokounmpo​

32 minutes, 33 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 14/21 FG, 1/2 3P, 4/9 FT, +8

Far be it from me to be too critical of the NBA’s leading scorer, who had his fifth 30-point outing of the season. And the guy who hit his first buzzer beater since the Obama administration. But his pull-up three with 31.5 left was not the shot Milwaukee needed, and missing both free throws up three with 3:31 left was scary. We’ll let those and the foul-line shooting slide.

Grade: A

Myles Turner​

32 minutes, 9 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3/7 FG, 2/6 3P, +7

Booed every time he touched the ball, Turner started the game off nicely and had three rejections in the first alone. His offense was pretty absent after halftime (1/4), but he generally played well on defense; the problem was that the Pacers knew how to draw him away from the rim, so the great rim protection he provided nearly the entire game wasn’t as present late in the fourth.

Grade: B

AJ Green​

29 minutes, 13 points, 3 assists, 4/8 FG, 4/8 3P, +3

First-half foul trouble meant only seven minutes until the third, but he made his presence felt quickly. The two he hit within 30 seconds in the fourth were huge, and it looked like the Bucks might coast from there. I think he needs to be out there when Giannis isn’t.

Grade: B+

Ryan Rollins​

28 minutes, 10 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 7 turnovers, 4/8 FG, 2/4 3P, -4

All over the court defensively on some possessions, and despite the 1:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, quickly starting to look the part of a legit NBA point guard. In the second, Rollins threw a Middleton-esque outlet pass to Giannis for a fast-break dunk, then threw down a wild dunk as he drove past Pascal Siakam on a break of his own. His triples in the third were part of that big run to put them up 12.

Grade: A-

Gary Trent Jr.​

34 minutes, 11 points, 3/12 FG, 3/10 3P, +8

A pretty rough night shooting the ball, but his last attempt and make was a big one to make it a five-point Bucks lead with 1:58 left. I would have liked to see him look for his own shot more—in the first, he drove inside and drew a foul.

Grade: C+

Cole Anthony​

23 minutes, 11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 turnovers, 4/8 FG, 3/4 3P, +4

That early fourth-quarter run had Anthony’s fingerprints all over it with two triples, a steal leading into a transition three, and two outstanding passes to Kyle Kuzma and Green in the corner. His brief stint later in the quarter was less successful, but he again looked great running the second unit.

Grade: B+

Taurean Prince​

21 minutes, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2/6 FG, 2/4 3P, +6

The only other reserve with a positive plus/minus. There was a sequence in the third where he attempted an ugly runner over Jay Huff, then got yakked by Shepherd on defense. Not good! But he redeemed himself with a three immediately after.

Grade: C+

Bobby Portis​

16 minutes, 8 points, 2 rebounds, 3/7 FG, 2/5 3P, -5

His first half shift was pretty abysmal (0/3 from the floor), so it was nice to see him get his act together with eight points in nine second-half minutes. On a night where the Bucks again struggled on the defensive glass, it stood out even more that he prefers to tip the ball rather than secure rebounds with two hands.

Grade: C

Kyle Kuzma​

16 minutes, 15 points, 5 rebounds, 5/10 FG, 1/3 3P, -6

Back-to-back really good outings from Kuzma off the bench, at least from a scoring perspective. He didn’t really stand out on defense, but he was making the right plays when the ball found him, and was pleasantly 3/5 in the paint.

Grade: B+

Doc Rivers​

I thought this would be the night that he’d finally start the second quarter with one of Giannis—who checked out at the 4:28 mark of the first—or Turner. Alas. The lineups he ran during that stretch generally looked bad, but he corrected this by using Green and Anthony more in the fourth instead of using three bigs.

Grade: B

Limited Minutes: Amir Coffey, Jericho Sims

DNP-CD: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Gary Harris, Andre Jackson Jr., Mark Sears

Inactive: Alex Antetokounmpo, Kevin Porter Jr., Pete Nance

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• When announced in the starting lineup, Turner predictably drew boos. He drew an even louder chorus of them when he first touched the ball on offense about a minute in. Turner was fouled immediately and split the free throws amidst the boos. He made his first field goal—a three—a couple minutes later, and his celebration set the fans off again.
• However, his tribute video aired pregame and drew a mixed reaction with some cheers.
• A fast break steal from Giannis just over three minutes in, thanks to a Rollins deflection, elicited a pretty hard foul by Aaron Nesmith, wrapping Giannis up in the air and sending him to the ground on his back. Though Giannis was ok, Jackson was assessed a flagrant-one. Giannis missed both free throws and then threw away the inbounds pass. Not great!
• Late in the first, Doc trotted out a super-sized lineup of Sims, Portis, Kuzma, Prince, and Anthony. They remained on the floor to start the second and defended well enough to be -1, but it’s not something I need to see again.
• During the second, Portis exited limping slightly. It seemed to be nothing substantial, and he played his usual complement of second-half minutes.
• Early-game turnovers continue to plague the Bucks, but after their seven in the first quarter, they cut it down to five in the second at least, and then three in each of the final two frames.
• Defensive rebounding is also looking like somewhat of an issue so far this season. Through three quarters, the Pacers had 12 offensive boards to the Bucks’ four, but that gap closed with a 5-2 edge on the offensive glass in the fourth. Their 69.8% DREB% was about average, and in line with their 69.3% season figure.
• The Pacers shot 17 (seventeen!) free throws in the second quarter. The Bucks shot freaking one. It was 15-8 Pacers in the second half too.
• Milwaukee entered the evening second-to-last in FT% at 70.7%, ahead of only Washington. The Wizards went 13/19 at the charity stripe tonight in a loss to the Knicks, so the Bucks are now the league’s worst foul-shooting team.
• Some other big disparities in the Bucks’ three-point shooting by quarter: after shooting 7/22 in the first half (31.8%), they scorched the nets to the tune of 6/12 in the third and 7/13 in the fourth to finish at 20/47, their best night by volume so far this year.
• This hasn’t happened in at least two years: the Bucks outscored the Pacers in transition, 23-11.
• Doc had some postgame words for the refs regarding missed calls and calls not going both ways in the fourth, also highlighting how he thought he flagrant-1 on Giannis should have been upgraded more. As he has before, he lamented how Giannis is officiated, but acknowledged the difficulty in doing so, saying “it’s like guarding a fast Shaq.“
• When asked about Giannis’ game-winner and the playcall, Doc expressed his satisfaction that the big fella touched paint, which has been a point of emphasis this year: “if he gets his foot in the paint, he makes that shot. When he takes it outside the paint, it’s a tougher shot for him. So, very happy that he took it.”

Up Next​

Monday was the first night of a back-to-back for the Bucks—their first of the season. Today they’re in Toronto for the second time in 11 days, which will be their last trip to face the Raptors at Scotiabank Arena in the regular season. Tip is at 6:30 p.m. CST and viewable on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...unmpo-game-winning-buzzer-beater-myles-turner

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Raptors 128, Bucks 100

The Toronto Raptors pummeled the tired Milwaukee Bucks 128-100 tonight. Toronto’s blowout win was fueled by their hot shooting from three—they went 17/38 from outside. RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes paced the Raps with 23 points each. It was a night to forget for almost every Buck, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had a relatively pedestrian 22 points and three assists.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

Both teams came out with guns blazing, combining for six threes on the first seven total possessions. Gary Trent Jr., eager to show out against his former squad, hit two of them. Scottie Barnes, who’s been on fire this season, also made a pair. RJ Barrett swished his second trey at the 8:00 mark to make the score 20-13, Raptors, just four minutes into the game. A high-octane shootout was underway. Milwaukee started to find success pressuring the paint against Toronto’s undersized frontcourt of Collin Murray-Boyles and Bucks legend Sandro Mamukelashvili, opening the gate for a 9-0 run that ended at the 4:30 tick. The Raptors didn’t stop their three-point barrage, though, and when the dust settled on the first quarter, they had a 39-29 advantage. Toronto went 9/15 from deep in the first frame alone.

The Bucks ran with an all-bench lineup of Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey, Taurean Prince, Kyle Kuzma, and Bobby Portis to start the second, which, as you might imagine, led to some awkward offensive trips. That crew did enough scrapping to stay within a 10-point margin, but when Giannis finally checked back in halfway through the quarter, it was long overdue. The Raptors were unfazed by the return of the Greek Freak, though, getting some stops on him inside and finding gaps in Milwaukee’s zone defense. Toronto held a 19-point lead with two minutes on the clock, fueled by a 12-2 run, and they held on to lead 73-54 at halftime. RJ Barrett and Giannis both had 15 points at intermission, with Quickley and Barnes adding 13 apiece for the home team.

Milwaukee showed some minor signs of life to kick off the second stanza, with AJ Green drilling two triples and Ryan Rollins aggressively attacking the rim, but it was false hope; the team couldn’t string together stops or scores. They looked lackadaisical, as clubs often do on the second night of a back-to-back. The Bucks were able to cut the deficit to 15 and force a timeout by the 7:00 mark, but after that stoppage, they went on to score just four points in the next four minutes. The sleepiness was practically tangible. Even their more engaged possessions, where defenders scrambled and made extra efforts, would still end in points for the Raptors. Ja’Kobe Walter banked in a tough and-one right before the buzzer, capping off a 20-8 Toronto run, and the Bucks were down 105-80 heading into the fourth.

The final quarter was a fitting nightcap for what was turning into a sleepy affair. The two teams combined for three points up until the 8:00 stamp, when Ryan Rollins knocked down a three. Doc Rivers started to empty his bench shortly after that, with Jericho Sims and Gary Harris both checking in for some extended action. Mark Sears got some burn as well, and the rookie scored his first NBA points, giving Bucks fans something to be excited about in an otherwise dreary contest. Garbage time played out as garbage time usually does, and the Raptors wrapped up with a no-doubt victory.

Stat That Stood Out​

Not to scapegoat one player, but Bobby Portis went 1/8 from the field for just two points. When he’s not providing a scoring spark, he’s really not doing much of anything. He’s a no-show on defense more often than not. The minutes with him at the five felt especially bad for the Bucks tonight.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...-giannis-antetokounmpo-scottie-barnes-blowout