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[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