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[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Wizards Player Grades: Giannis’ and Bobby Portis’ bad nights lead to embarrassing loss

The Milwaukee Bucks posted one of their worst games in a while as they fell to the 2-16 (now 3-16) Washington Wizards on the road. The worst Part is that Washington wasn’t even healthy! They were missing Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson, and Corey Kispert—all key members of their rotation. Yup, it’s dire straits right now. 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​

31 minutes, 26 points, 4 assists, 7 rebounds, 10/17 FG, -2

That might have been the worst game I’ve seen Giannis play in a long time. This is a guy who talks a lot about accountability, which, granted, he has shown throughout his career, but that rings very hollow in games like last night, when he gave so little effort that if he were a standard player, he’d have been benched in a millisecond. I mean, he had almost no accountability whatsoever on defence; the best Giannis could offer as guys continually drove past him as if he were a traffic cone was a passive swipe at the ball. Then on offence, Giannis got in the mindset he often gets in when playing “bad teams,” where he abandons the normal sets, dribbles the air out of the ball, and tries trucking through everyone. And not for nothing, but the individual game-within-the-game he got in with Khris Middleton—much like he’s done in the past with guys like Al Horford and Deandre Ayton—is almost childish, frankly. That mindset certainly appeared to lead him to settle for a glamour fadeaway (over Midd) up one with a minute to go and not run back, giving the Wiz a numbers advantage and leading to an open Middleton three. That right there was the ballgame. It’s not about the stats with GA, it’s about playing the game the right way; he didn’t care for doing that last night, and will be graded accordingly.

Grade: D+

Myles Turner​

26 minutes, 9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3/10 FG, 3/8 3P, +10

Ugh, I struggled to evaluate Myles’ game because, on the one hand, he is a system player that gets his from other players setting him up, and the coach and players within this system are not exactly optimising him. On the other hand, he really must improve as a defender and rebounder; he is not doing enough in those areas. As far as the shots he’s shooting, I don’t know, they feel like good looks? I’d have loved to see him play more than 26 minutes, though!

Grade: C+

Ryan Rollins​

29 minutes, 14 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 5/12 FG, 3/7 3P, -7

On the whole, Ryan was fine. It feels like his usage has decreased since KPJ got back, but he’s contributing in other ways. The offence has fallen somewhat in recent times, though.

Grade: B-

Kevin Porter Jr.​

31 minutes, 30 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 12/15 FG, 5/6 3P, +13

KPJ was the lone shining light in this one. The jumper was working, and he was really the team’s only effective creator. He had a few mishaps on defence, but I liked his contributions on that end for the most part. Porter leaving the game late with back spasms really hurt.

Grade: A

Kyle Kuzma​

20 minutes, 3 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 1/4 FG, -9

Kuzma gave them nothing against his former team. I guess it’s good that he wasn’t just chucking out there, but it was a night to forget on the whole.

Grade: C-

AJ Green​

31 minutes, 13 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 4/6 FG, 4/6 3P, +8

Another solid game from AJ where I had few complaints. He did his job and made shots, while being OK on defence.

Grade: B+

Gary Trent Jr.​

30 minutes, 14 points, 4/7 FG, 3/5 3P, -12

Gary was solid in this one, providing some much-needed threes in the fourth quarter. He was mostly fine on the other end too.

Grade: B+

Bobby Portis​

17 minutes, 12 points, 4 rebounds, 5/10 FG, 2/4 3P, -7

Bobby is truly a spectacularly bad defender. Some of the lowlights from this game from him on that end were remarkable. The possession at the end of the third, where Justin Champagnie literally… runs past him… and gets passed the ball for the layup, was the best of the night. The rip-and-slam going baseline from Cam Whitmore—where Bobby got shaken into oblivion because he had no plan to send him one way—came a close second. I don’t even care that he made shots; the defence was that bad.

Grade: D+

Jericho Sims​

18 minutes, 5 points, 7 rebounds, 2/3 FG, -9

Jericho was mostly fine, given his limited skill set. The way he attacked the boards was helpful.

Grade: C+

Doc Rivers​

Oh, brother, there is so much to say about Doc. Turner was a +10 in this game, but he only played 26 minutes and watched as Bobby got lit up over and over. Jericho Sims was on the court until the 4:31 mark of the fourth, and then Myles finally got in. How much money are the Bucks paying Turner? Also, Khris was killing the Bucks early because they kept willingly switching Turner onto him—why!? Couldn’t they have dropped Turner and helped off the other guys? I could say so much more, but I’ll end on something I’ve discussed on Deer Diaries: Doc’s inability to call his senior players out when they’re on some BS is pathetic. Is anyone convinced he told Giannis that his effort on D was deplorable? Will he ever have the spine to bench Portis if he’s bleeding points? Something tells me he was fine having a rip at the youngins, though. You know, accountability and all that.

Grade: D

Limited minutes: Cole Anthony

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

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

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• KPJ said he thinks he’ll be ready for Wednesday’s game, despite not being able to finish last night’s one with back spasms.
• The Bucks shot 18 (!) fewer shots than the Wizards. How? They had 16 turnovers and gave up 15 offensive rebounds (six each to NBA journeymen Marvin Bagley and Justin Champagnie, no less). They also missed eight free throws. Milwaukee lost while shooting about 55% from both the field and the three-point line.
• Doc: “We played like we thought we were going to win the game.”
• Doc on Giannis’ game: “The five turnovers is probably what he would like back, but other than that, he played pretty well.” Need I say more?

Up Next​

The Bucks are back in action on Wednesday night at home against the Detroit Pistons. Catch the game at 7:00 p.m. Central on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...es-stats-giannis-bobby-portis-kevin-porter-jr

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks Poll: Planning for life after Doc

I think it’s safe to say that the vast majority of Bucks fans are fed up with the underachievement that’s defined this year’s squad and that we’ve seen at times during Doc Rivers’ tenure. Given the situation when he was hired, there was an argument for bringing him on: the locker room had turned on Adrian Griffin, and they needed someone who could right the ship. A player’s coach with a long-established ability to gain veterans’ respect fit, despite not being one of the better tactical coaches available. The argument against Rivers, well… it was stronger.

Giannis has gone on record saying he likes playing for Doc. He did the same with Bud, and many reports professed his loyalty towards Jason Kidd. That didn’t stop Jon Horst from firing each of them when the team clearly needed a change. Even with money due to both Doc and Griff through summer 2027, I don’t expect this situation to be any different, and I’ll be pretty surprised if Doc is still the head coach of this team by next week.

In this week’s Tuesday Tracker, we’ll be pretty blunt: should Doc Rivers be gone now? If so, who should be the interim coach? Regardless of the coaching staff, where will this team be by the end of the month and season?

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As always, this poll will be open until midnight Central on Friday, and we’ll post the results later that day. Thanks for voting!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-polls/55276/milwaukee-bucks-poll-planning-for-life-after-doc

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Detroit Pistons Preview: Attempting to salvage something

The Milwaukee Bucks will attempt to rebound from their most embarrassing loss of the season and take on one of the best teams in the league, the Detroit Pistons. These two teams recently played each other, which saw the Pistons win 129-116 less than two weeks ago.

Where We’re At​

Milwaukee has struggled to play at the level of its opponents, including against bad teams. Aside from last Saturday against the Nets, the Bucks have competed and played well against top teams like the Knicks, Heat, and even the Pistons without Giannis or KPJ. But the same Bucks lost to the Hornets, Kings, and Wizards in the past month or so, and barely scraped by the Pacers and Mavericks. Monday night was the most frustrating, seeing a team we assumed they were going to beat, but lacked any urgency or defensive effort against the Wizards in the second half. That is a sign of a coach who does not hold them accountable or has a plan to stop the bleeding in most games.

Detroit has had a very strong season. The Pistons have the second-best record in the league and have won eight of their last ten games. Cade Cunningham and J.B. Bickerstaff won the Eastern Conference Player and Coach of the Month award in November. Having such a strong season without Jaden Ivey, Tobias Harris, and Ausar Thompson for stretches is also impressive. I don’t think there really is a weakness on this team, and if there is, Detroit has the talent to mask it in the regular season.

Injury Report​

The Bucks will not have Taurean Prince (neck surgery). Kevin Porter Jr. is questionable after leaving Monday’s game with back spasms, while Gary Harris has Achilles soreness. Giannis is listed as probable due to left abductor strain management.

The Pistons will not have Bobbi Klintman, who is out with an ankle injury. Duncan Robinson is listed as questionable with a right ankle sprain.

Player Coach To Watch​

To be honest, I am surprised Doc Rivers is still the head coach at this point. Doc’s supposed strength was getting the respect of senior players/stars, but now that the team is younger and Rivers isn’t holding his veterans accountable for their lackluster performance, what is the point? His rotations are poor, and he is not showing any tactical strength from this team. This is the second straight year the Bucks have had a poor start to the season, and now, after almost two years on the job, there aren’t positives to point to on why he is still around. Mike Budenholzer and Adrian Griffin got fired for accomplishing less than Doc has, and he’ll need an impressive showing the remainder of the week to salvage his job. Darvin Ham, get ready to learn “interim head coach.”

How To Watch​

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

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

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 113, Pistons 109

The Milwaukee Bucks pulled off a much-needed upset win over the Detroit Pistons after losing eight of their last nine games and despite losing Giannis to injury after three minutes. Jericho Sims put up a career-high 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, while Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins combined for 48 points. Tobias Harris led Detroit with 20 points on 5/8 shooting from three-point range.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

Things went from bad to worse for the Bucks to start this one. They were having a difficult time generating any offense in the opening minutes, scoring just two points on Giannis’ free throws while the Pistons scored 10 in response. The worst part was that after Giannis found AJ Green for a cutting layup, Giannis suffered a non-contact injury and had to limp to the locker room. It was later revealed that he sustained a right calf strain and would be out for the rest of the game. They were held scoreless in the two and a half minutes without him, as the Pistons took a 17-4 lead, forcing a Doc Rivers timeout. It took the Bucks until the 2:04 mark of the quarter to hit double-digits, thanks to a Green three-pointer. Despite trailing by as many as 18 points, the Bucks found a way behind Kevin Porter Jr. to be trailing by single digits entering the second quarter, 30-21.

Even without Giannis, the Bucks’ defense came to play in the second quarter. Detroit started just 3/8 for six points, while Milwaukee scored eight to bring the game within seven, before J.B. Bickerstaff called a timeout. The Bucks fell behind by double-digits again, after Jericho Sims was called for a flagrant foul for being in the landing space of a Javonte Green made three-pointer. After making the free throw, Daniss Jenkins hit a three, putting Detroit up by 15 points. This came after officials determined Ausar Thompson didn’t commit a flagrant on KPJ after hitting him in the head. Things turned around for the Bucks from there, as in the last 4:37 of the quarter, they outscored the Pistons 14-4, with KPJ scoring the last two buckets with 1:33 to go and 30 seconds left. Porter had a chance to tie it at the buzzer, but missed the three, and the Bucks went into the second half down 52-49.

The Bucks continued to play with a ton of energy in the early goings of the third quarter. They outscored the Pistons 7-3 in the first two minutes to take their first lead of the game off a Myles Turner three. Detroit was able to take the lead right back, but Milwaukee was able to keep it within striking distance for the rest of the quarter. Isaiah Stewart ended up getting ejected from the game after receiving his second technical foul after getting into it with Portis. The Bucks did get it within five points with 26 seconds left after a Portis three, but Daniss Jenkins hit a mid-range jumper with four seconds left, with the score sitting at 85-78 heading into the fourth quarter.

Milwaukee continued to hang around and be competitive. After trailing by eight points, the Bucks pulled off the biggest run of the game to that point. Over the next 2:29, they went on a 12-2 run to re-take the lead, highlighted by Green nailing back-to-back huge three pointers. Both sides traded baskets for a while before the Pistons took the lead back with 2:53 to go, after Cade Cunningham grabbed his own miss and laid it in. Sims’ career day continued, as he hit an and-one layup and a free throw to give the Bucks a one-point lead with 1:34 to go. The two Central Division teams went scoreless for the next 1:21 of game action before Jalen Duren picked up his sixth foul, sending Ryan Rollins to the free-throw line. Rollins made both free throws to give the Bucks a three-point lead with 13.5 left in the game. Cade airballed the three with a chance to tie, and Green nailed two clutch free throws to give the Bucks a five-point lead with 7.6 seconds left as the Bucks held on by the skin of their teeth.

Stat That Stood Out​

Much-maligned backup center Bobby Portis came up big when it mattered. With Turner carrying four fouls, he played most of the second half and did his job and then some. After being held scoreless in the first half, Portis scored 13 points in the second, eight of which came in the fourth quarter. He also grabbed nine rebounds, dished out five assists, and looked pretty solid on defense throughout.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...ain-ryan-rollins-jericho-sims-cade-cunningham

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Giannis in discussion with Bucks over future

Amidst the sunshine and rainbows that are your 2025–26 Milwaukee Bucks, clouds have entered the picture. Per Shams:

Giannis Antetokounmpo and his agent Alex Saratsis have started conversations with the Milwaukee Bucks about the two-time NBA MVP’s future – and discussing whether his best fit is staying or elsewhere, sources tell ESPN. A resolution is expected in the coming weeks.

The news is not entirely unsurprising, as the Bucks are mired in eight losses over nine games, including an absolute screamer to the Washington Wizards on Monday night. Many of those games were played without Giannis or starting point guard Kevin Porter Jr., but the combination of Milwaukee’s performances, Doc Rivers’ coaching, and particularly the results against the (admittedly few) low-quality opponents during that stretch has sounded some alarms. The bad vibes have primarily targeted Doc Rivers, with our own Jackson Gross calling for him to be fired. But it makes sense that he would not be the only casualty.

Look, it is in the best interest of everyone at ESPN for Giannis to board the next flight to New York and call it quits on Milwaukee. But the source should not discredit that this is a tough moment for the Bucks. In light of the dour present and the potentially dour short- and medium-term future for the franchise, Giannis may view his best chances at a title lie elsewhere. It is his right to make that call.

Still, conversations are conversations. Giannis has played his entire career in Milwaukee; there are shreds of optimism amidst the gloom (hello, All-Star Ryan Rollins?), and a recommitted Giannis would hopefully perform with more accountability than he showed on Monday.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-rumo...unmpo-bucks-future-rumors-nba-milwaukee-shams

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Pistons Player Grades: AJ Green’s hot shooting and Jericho Sims’ career day propel upset win

After dropping a gimmie game against the Washington Wizards on Monday, the Milwaukee Bucks played arguably their best game of the season—due in large part because Giannis played just three minutes before leaving with a calf injury—taking down the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons 113-109. The season series now sits at 1-1. 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​

Kevin Porter Jr.​

35 minutes, 26 points, 8 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 7 turnovers, 8/18 FG, 7/7 FT, +8

Scoot keeps posting high point totals since returning. After scoring 30 against the Wizards, he dropped another 26 last night (and could’ve scored more if not for his foul trouble). He’s added a much-needed element of shot creation that this team desperately needs—especially if Giannis misses significant time.

Grade: A

Ryan Rollins​

39 minutes, 22 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 9/16 FG, 1/6 3PT, 3/3 FT, -9

Rollins displayed a defensive masterclass on Cade Cunningham, especially late. He distributed the ball well and dropped timely mid-range jump shots to keep the offense flowing.

Grade: A

Myles Turner​

20 minutes, 9 points, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls, 4/4 FT, -13

The four fouls really hindered Myles’ game, as did Bobby’s performance. Turner was ok in spots; he hit a big three to give the Bucks their first lead of the game. Overall, I still want more from Turner, but he played his role alright.

Grade: C

AJ Green​

40 minutes, 19 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks, 5/11 3PT, +8

What truly sparked the late Bucks surge was two back-to-back threes by Green. Dairy Bird came in shooting 50% from three on 6.7 attempts per game, and came away with another strong 5/11 day.

Grade: A

Kyle Kuzma​

21 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 2/7 FG, -7

It wasn’t the best day offensively for Kuz, but he still put in a solid all-around game. He had a couple of big-time dunks, one of which was a lob from Bobby as the Bucks were making their comeback in the fourth quarter.

Grade: C+

Bobby Portis​

30 minutes, 13 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 5/13 FG, 2/8 3PT, +18

There has been a lot of mud-slinging directed at BP (some of it justified), but this was a stellar performance from him. He scored all of his points in the second half and was tremendous on the boards, giving great effort. More of this, Bobby.

Grade: A

Gary Trent Jr.​

22 minutes, 3 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1/4 3PT, +9

It was a relatively quiet game from Trent, but he played some solid defense in the 2-3 zone. He had some open looks, but couldn’t quite capitalize on them.

Grade: C-

Jericho Sims​

30 minutes, 15 points, 14 rebounds, 7/7 FG, 1/1 FT, +12

Who would’ve expected this kind of game from Sims? He was tremendous on the boards, and he hit what ended up being the game-winning free throw after making the layup. Sims was also a big reason why the Bucks only lost by four on the rebounding margin (40-44).

Grade: A+

Doc Rivers​

Doc has been under fire from every direction the last couple of weeks (including from yours truly). While I still contend that the Bucks should let him go in the long term, he did a pretty good job with his rotations; in particular, he staggered Rollins and KPJ well so that Cole Anthony didn’t see the floor. Not a perfect game for Rivers, but a definite above-average one.

Grade: B

Incomplete: Giannis Antetokounmpo

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

Inactive: Taurean Prince, Mark Sears, Alex Antetokounmpo

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• There was already a ton to talk about Giannis before he even set foot on the floor and got injured. Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Giannis and his agent had met with the Bucks to discuss his future, and that a resolution would be reached in the next few weeks. Doc Rivers was fiery in his pre-game remarks, saying that Giannis has never requested a trade. Here was his opening answer about the story:

“So here we go again. There’s been no conversation. It’s different in the middle of the season because the season is going on, and you have to answer these questions again. I want to make it clear, I would say one more time, but for the 50th time, it’s clearly not getting to one network (ESPN) for sure. Giannis has never asked to be traded, ever. I can’t make that more clear.”

• Kyle Kuzma was asked about how he deals with the rumors, and said that it’s all basically white noise to him now:

“That’s just the league, man. Everybody comes up in rumors; nobody really knows anything, honestly. Reporters and media they try to dig and dig, and they think they got the answers, but nobody has the answers, really. The rumors, that’s more like for the media and the fans, that’s more their hemisphere. All of us have been in trade rumors at one point in time in our careers for multiple years. It’s really just white noise, honestly, and it’s really just for the entertaining aspect for the fans and the media to have something to distract from the world.”

• Bobby Portis talked about a meeting they had as a team today to discuss what has been going on this season and to make sure everyone is on the same page:

“We’re about a quarter in for the season, just wanting to get to a little talking. Obviously, there’s been way more lows than highs over the last couple of weeks. Definitely knowing that going into tonight was a huge game, we wanted to come out here and have everyone on the same page. There’s lots going on, a lot of chatter, a lot of media chatter, whatever it is, so just trying to keep guys’ minds right, keep guys together. Everyone wants to get paid, everyone has different motivations, whatever it is, just making sure we’re together and most importantly, understanding that we have to get a win, no matter how we get it.”

• Jericho Sims notched a career-high 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for his fourth double-double of his career. It’s been over three years since he’s done that; that last time was on Nov. 18, 2022.
• With AJ Green’s five threes, this was the fifth consecutive game he’s had 4+ makes from beyond-the-arc—the most consecutive games in his career.

Up Next​

The Bucks will have today off before they host the Philadelphia 76ers for the second time this season. The Bucks lost the last meeting in overtime, 123-114, but Giannis and KPJ weren’t available for that one. The tip-off for this one is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central from Fiserv Forum. You can watch it on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin and over the air on WMLW.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...er-grades-stats-giannis-aj-green-jericho-sims

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Philadelphia 76ers Preview: Turning point or flash in the pan?

The Milwaukee Bucks are having a roller coaster season that has seen some real lows but also incredible highs. They will look to start a winning streak against the Philadelphia 76ers, who defeated the Bucks on November 20th, 123-114.

Where We’re At​

Good luck understanding the Milwaukee Bucks. In the last preview, I said the Bucks play to the level of their competition, and this week has been the perfect example. If you had told me the Bucks would go 1-1 since Sunday, I would have guessed that the win came against a bottom-of-the-Eastern-conference Wizards team and the loss would be due to the top-of-the-East Detroit Pistons. But that is not what happened. Trust me, I am still trying to understand how a full-strength Bucks team loses to the Wizards but then pulls off a massive win against the Pistons without star player Giannis Antetokounmpo. In the end, it really is the Bucks playing to the level of their opposition. It’s excellent that the Bucks can win big games against the top teams, but why couldn’t they do that on Monday? Arrogance and pride are factors; maybe the ESPN news about Giannis dropping hours before the Pistons game lit a fire in them. Who knows, but we will get a better understanding of what this team is in the next month.

The Sixers are an odd team because when healthy, they could be a talented group. But they are never healthy, and it feels like the team is moving on from Embiid and Paul George and ready to give Tyrese Maxey the keys. Last night, Philadelphia beat the Golden State Warriors 99-98 thanks to a last-second tip shot from rookie VJ Edgecombe, which gave the Sixers a 5-5 record in their previous ten games and put them in a play-in spot in the logjam that is the Eastern Conference. Despite that shot, Edgecombe has cooled off after a strong start to the season.

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Injury Report​

The Bucks will not have Taurean Prince (neck surgery) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (right calf strain).

The Sixers played last night, which means no injury report was submitted. Yesterday, though, Paul George, Trendon Watford, and Kelly Oubre were out. Joel Embiid did play, so it’s possible Philly keeps him out to avoid wearing down his body.

Player To Watch​

Jericho Sims had a career night on Wednesday, scoring 15 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Sims is a different style of big man than what Milwaukee has offered. His rim running and rebounding give the Bucks an extra edge that they sometimes lack, and with Giannis out, he could stake a claim to earning more minutes in the rotation. How he fits with Myles Turner/Bobby Portis/Kyle Kuzma will be exciting to watch.

How To Watch​

7:00 pm CST on FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and the following Weigel stations:

WMLW & WYTU (Milwaukee)
WISC (Madison)
WMEI (Green Bay)
WECX (Eau Claire/La Crosse)
WYOW (Wausau)
WQAD (Davenport, IA, Rock Island/Moline, IL)

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

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: 76ers 116, Bucks 101

After an emotional win on Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons, the Milwaukee Bucks couldn’t build on the momentum, as they lost their second game of the season to the Philadelphia 76ers. Bobby Portis led the Bucks with 22 points off the bench, while Kevin Porter Jr. had 20 points and nine assists. Quentin Grimes was the Sixers’ leading scorer with 22 points, while Paul George scored 20 points on 50% shooting from the field.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

It didn’t take as long for the Bucks to hit double-figures as it did on Wednesday, with the three-ball working early. A 7-2 start by Philly flipped to a 9-2 run by Milwaukee, with Ryan Rollins hitting a three and Myles Turner hitting a pair. The pendulum swung back in the 76ers’ favor after a timeout from Nick Nurse with an 11-2 run to re-take the lead with 4:11 left. Philadelphia caught fire from beyond the arc, going 4/4 from that distance, as they built up a double-digit lead heading into the second quarter, 33-20.

Jabari Walker came into the game shooting 29% from the three-point line on 1.2 attempts per game. It didn’t seem to matter much to him, as he started the game 4/4 from deep. That helped the 76ers quickly build up an 18-point lead in the second quarter. Philly continued to pour it on, leading by as many as 26 points. The Bucks left three-point shooters wide open as the 76ers went 6/11 from deep in the quarter. Milwaukee tried making the halftime score look a little bit more respectable, but they still found themselves trailing Philly by 20, 69-49, heading into the locker room. AJ Green picked up a left shoulder contusion and did not return. Bucks turned the ball over 10 times in the first half and allowed the 76ers to score 17 points off of those.

The Bucks tried to mount the comeback from the free-throw line. They attempted six free throws (only going 3/6) and cut the lead down to 17 points. Paule George nailed an open three to put the lead back to 20 points, drawing a timeout from Doc Rivers. It was quite the quarter for Quentin Grimes, as he was responsible for 13 points over a stretch of 3 minutes and 21 seconds. He hit a couple of three-pointers and dished out three assists, keeping the Bucks from getting anywhere near their sizeable lead. The Bucks were able to get the game under 20 points heading into the fourth quarter, 93-77, after Kyle Kuzma made a tough layup in transition.

An unlikely player stepped up in the early stages of the fourth for the Bucks. In the midst of an unproductive stretch, Gary Trent Jr. hit a deep three while being fouled and then completed the four-point play to get the game within 12 points for Milwaukee. The Bucks had their chances to bring it within single digits, with open threes and chances on the offensive glass, but couldn’t break through. George went to work in isolation guarded by Sims, hitting back-to-back mid-range jumpers to put Philly up 14 with 5:49 to go. After going back and forth for a stretch, the Bucks did finally get the game within single digits with a Portis three, and after a steal had a chance to cut it even further. But Portis missed a contested layup and Tyrese Maxey came back the other way and hit a tough layup. Rookie V.J. Edgecombe nailed what ended up being the dagger three, after KPJ doubled George with Sims.

Stat That Stood Out​

The Bucks got away with 15 turnovers on Wednesday against the Pistons, but Philadelphia made them pay tonight. Milwaukee had 16 turnovers, and the Sixers turned them into 21 points.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...is-kevin-porter-jr-quentin-grimes-paul-george

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks Poll: Why is Doc still the coach?

In this week’s Tuesday Tracker, we asked you again about a Doc Rivers firing, potential interim coaches, playoff chances, and record predictions. Here are the highlights:

• After 61% thought Rivers should be fired before 2026 in last week’s tracker, 90% of over 600 voters now believe he should be fired immediately.
• A small majority of those polled think Darvin Ham should replace Doc as interim coach, with Dave Joerger garnering 20%. Two other assistants got 10%, but 15% prefer someone else from the staff.
• Despite being three games under .500, 59% of respondents still believe the Bucks will make the playoffs, compared with 35% who previously thought they would but now think they won’t. Last week, 59% also thought the Bucks were still a playoff team.
• The schedule is a fair bit easier this month than it was in November, but still 63% think the Bucks won’t be above .500 when the calendar flips to January.
• Doc Rivers’ approval rating hit a record low this week at 2%. For perspective, that’s 11 out of 516 total votes.
• Jon Horst’s approval rating sunk to 34% from 51% last week, perhaps due to Rivers’ continued employment.

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Thanks again for voting! Check back on Tuesday for another slate of questions.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-polls/55451/milwaukee-bucks-poll-doc-rivers-firing-playoff-chances

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Detroit Pistons Preview: A quick trip to Motown

The Milwaukee Bucks will look to salvage the week by going 2-2, heading out to Detroit to take on the Pistons for the second time this week and third time this season. The Pistons won the first meeting back in November, but it was the Bucks who won on Wednesday, 113-109.

Where We’re At​

The Bucks continue to be a roller-coaster team. After getting what seemed to be a statement win on Wednesday against the Pistons, they fell flat in the final minutes of the first quarter yesterday against the Philadelphia 76ers and could never make up the ground. They fell behind by 26 points before cutting it to nine near the midpoint of the fourth quarter. Yet without Giannis and AJ Green (left shoulder contusion in the second quarter), they couldn’t get over the hump. They fell back to 10-14 and still haven’t won two games in a row since the second week of the season, when they beat the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors. They’ve never even had a winning streak longer than that. They also have to find a way to win without Giannis, as they’re now 1-6 in games he doesn’t play and have lost the last 6 of those. We’ll see if the Bucks can repeat some magic they had on Wednesday, but they can’t fall behind by 18 points and expect to come back again.

The Pistons got a bounce-back win yesterday over the Portland Trail Blazers, 122-116, on their home floor. Cade Cunningham continued to add to his All-NBA campaign with a stellar performance of 29 points, nine assists, four rebounds, and three steals, while Ron Holland had 17 points off the bench. They were trailing by three with 2:43 to go, but eight straight points between Cunningham and Duncan Robinson were the difference to propel the Pistons to the win. The win gave them their 18th of the season, as they sit atop the Eastern Conference by 2.5 games over the Knicks.

Injury Report​

This will be the second game that Giannis will miss as he nurses his right calf strain, while Taurean Prince is still out for the foreseeable future. The status of AJ Green is currently unknown after suffering a left shoulder contusion in yesterday’s game. Doc Rivers confirmed during his postgame press conference that they will take an MRI of Green’s shoulder in Detroit.

Since the Pistons will also be on SEGABABA, we don’t have their full injury report yet. Bobi Klintman and Marcus Sasser were out for yesterday’s game against the Trail Blazers, but we’ll have to wait and see if there were any new additions before tonight’s game.

Player To Watch​

Jaden Ivey is slowly but surely getting back into playing shape. He scored 15 points off the bench against the Bucks on Wednesday. In 10 career games against the Bucks, Ivey is averaging 15 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, and 4.3 assists per game. If he gets going, he could be a major problem for the Bucks to contend with.

How To Watch​

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

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

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Pistons Player Grades: Kevin Porter Jr.’s heroic effort not enough as Ryan Rollins struggles

The Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Detroit Pistons, 112-124, as both teams played on the second night of a back-to-back. Unfortunately, the Bucks were unable to replicate the stunning performance that upset the Pistons on Wednesday; they suffered their third loss in four games (and the 10th in 12 games). The season series now sits at 2-1, Detroit’s way. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

View Link

Player Grades​

Kevin Porter Jr.​

36 minutes, 32 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 11/16 FG, 7/9 3P, –30

KPJ was spectacular last night. I can’t begin to describe how hard it seemed for him to have to do so much creating—especially with Rollins in foul trouble in the first half—and still post that stat line on that efficiency. Oh, and he was also guarded by Ausar Thompson all night. No biggie.

Grade: A+

Myles Turner​

25 minutes, 12 points, 4/8 FG, 3/7 3P, -22

Myles had 12 points within the first six minutes, and then… never really got involved again? I know that may be circumstantial, but it feels like he should have been prioritised more than he seemingly was.

Grade: C+

Ryan Rollins​

23 minutes, 10 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 4/14 FG, 1/7 3P, -9

It was an off night from the start for Rollins, only playing 7:48 in the first half as he dealt with foul trouble. From there, he never really found a rhythm.

Grade: C-

Kyle Kuzma​

28 minutes, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 5/12 FG, 1/2 3P,-11

Kuz started well, but tailed off as the night progressed. I don’t necessarily think he played poorly, though. His defence was solid, and he made some nice passes that weren’t converted.

Grade: C

Gary Harris​

13 minutes, 2 points, 1/2 FG, -8

Some good defence from Gary; thought he was solid in his minutes.

Grade: C+

Andre Jackson Jr.​

11 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1/1 FG, +9

AJax gave the team a boost in his minutes with his ability to pick up Cunningham full-court. Also, Andre had one heck of an alley-oop in the closing minutes.

Grade: B

Gary Trent Jr.​

28 minutes, 11 points, 4/11 FG, 1/5 3P, -19

Gary missed some makeable shots. His stat line looks worse than he played.

Grade: C+

Bobby Portis​

20 minutes, 7 points, 4 assists, 7 rebounds, 2/11 FG, 1/3 3P, -4

Bobby was just off all night after playing really well the night before against Philly. What I will say is that I can’t stand when he gets lippy with fans, the refs, and opposing players while the team is struggling; play the game.

Grade: C-

Jericho Sims​

30 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1/1 FG, –21

Jericho’s one-on-one defence was excellent. Doc is clearly willing to switch him onto just about anyone; he asked Sims to guard Paul George, and now Cade Cunningham.

Grade: B+

Doc Rivers​

I don’t understand why Doc didn’t look to get Turner more involved after his hot start, but that’s honestly a season-long trend at this point. Other than that, a much more talented team beat the Bucks, and I’m not sure how much a coach could have altered the outcome. Yes, Milwaukee beat this team a few days back, but on average, they aren’t fighting in the same weight division.

Grade: C

Garbage time: Cole Anthony, Pete Nance, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Amir Coffey

Inactive: Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo, Mark Sears, Giannis Antetokounmpo, AJ Green

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Doc said KPJ is “the one guy who can get his own shot whenever he wants,” but that he commends him for “doing it the right way.”
• Doc said he thinks Ryan Rollins has been forcing it too much of late, but that he wants to “keep him free” and not “clog his brain,” so he’s living with some of the mistakes.
• Unlike their usual style, the Bucks actually did well forcing turnovers and generating points off them, scoring 25 points off turnovers in this game.
• Detroit grabbed 16 O boards to Milwaukee’s 11.

Up Next​

The Bucks now get a huge four-day break and will be back at home on Thursday night against Boston. Catch the game at 7:00 p.m. Central on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

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

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Pistons 124, Bucks 112

With both teams on the second night of a back-to-back, the Milwaukee Bucks were unable to replicate Wednesday’s win over the Detroit Pistons, going down 112-124. Kevin Porter Jr. gave everything for the Bucks, racking up 32 points, six assists, and four rebounds. For Detroit, it was Cade Cunningham who starred, dropping 23 points, 12 assists, and six boards.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

It was a much better start for the Bucks in this game than it was on Wednesday. Myles Turner was the story early, with 12 points on 4/4 shooting. Some of those opportunities came in transition off Pistons turnovers; the home team gave the ball away six times in the opening stanza. Kyle Kuzma was also a beneficiary of the giveaways, scoring multiple times at the rim as the Bucks attacked with an advantage. At the same time, Milwaukee struggled to slow down Cade Cunningham, and even contributions from Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert, and Javonte Green had the home team up 22-29 after one.

The Bucks opened the second in their 2-3 zone—which worked wonders in limiting Detroit’s offence a few days ago—and immediately forced two straight turnovers, scoring more transition points. Kuzma had the Bucks’ first seven points of the period, evening the tally at 29 and looking as dangerous as he had all season. I must say, the Bucks’ defence was just spectacular in this period. Cunnigham was simply unable to shake Jericho Sims; plus, AJax even gave solid minutes. The Pistons did manage to extend their lead to double digits, but Kevin Porter Jr. kept the visitors in it. With Ryan Rollins in foul trouble, Porter had 19 points on 7/8 shooting at half (plus four steals), all while being hounded by Ausar Thompson. A late Gary Trent Jr. triple had the Bucks down just five, 56-61, going into the locker rooms.

The Bucks just kept sticking around throughout the third. KPJ continued his ridiculous shot-making, nailing two tough corner threes in the early going. Also, Rollins finally got off his donut with a bomb of his own, which he parlayed into a few floaters off the glass later in the period. Alas, the Pistons began to win the possession battle; they relentlessly attacked the O-boards, a category they beat the Bucks in 5-2 in the third, while also forcing a couple of Bucks turnovers. This allowed the home team to lead 91-81 after three.

Jaden Ivey hit a quick set of three pointers to open the final frame, as Doc called a quick timeout with Milwaukee’s deficit ballooning to the high teens. KPJ came out of the timeout with his sixth three of the night, most of which felt like self-created shots. Javonte Green then responded with a quick five points, which felt like the final knockout punch as the Pistons’ lead swelled close to 20. From there, it was all academic as Doc subbed the deep bench lads on and accepted the L.

Stat That Stood Out​

Ryan Rollins was plagued by foul trouble and never really found a rhythm, going 4/14 and 1/7 from three in 22 minutes. The Bucks rely on Rollins as a key cog, and so even with KPJ’s mastery, they had little chance to win.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...l-score-recap-kevin-porter-jr-cade-cunningham

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. 76ers Player Grades: Strong games from Ryan Rollins and Myles Turner nullified by poor first quarter

The Milwaukee Bucks couldn’t string together a second straight win, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers for the second time this season, 116-101. The season series now sits at 0-2 for Milwaukee after they fell to Philly in overtime, 123-114, back in November. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

View Link

Player Grades​

Kevin Porter Jr.​

37 minutes, 20 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 4 turnovers, 5/13 FG, 9/9 FT, -20

Much like the rest of the Bucks, it was a rough first quarter for KPJ, with three of his four turnovers coming in the period. That said, KPJ settled in and, at times, was the Bucks’ only reliable offense in the game.

Grade: B-

Ryan Rollins​

35 minutes, 16 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 6/13 FG, 2/2 3PT, -10

Rylo had a good all-around game, and he did a fantastic job defensively guarding Tyrese Maxey. The former Kentucky guard came in averaging 32.6 points per game, and Rollins played a significant role in limiting Maxey to his season-low 12 points on 5/14 shooting.

Grade: A-

Myles Turner​

23 minutes, 19 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3/7 3PT, 8/12 FT, -7

Turner played one of his better offensive games of the season; he was more decisive on that end. For a team that has struggled to get to the free throw line, Turner getting 12 is a good sign that he’s being more aggressive in the paint.

Grade: B

Jericho Sims​

30 minutes, 2 points, 10 rebounds, 1 block, -7

After a career day on Wednesday, Sims fell back down to earth in this one. That said, he deserves credit for once again posting double-digit rebounds, and I do think he has cemented himself as part of this rotation moving forward. Would like more offense from him, but he’s so reliant on being set up that I really can’t blame him.

Grade: C+

Kyle Kuzma​

29 minutes, 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 fouls, 7/12 FG, 0/3 FT, -8

I know 14 points isn’t a lot, but last night felt like the quietest 14-point game I’ve ever seen. That’s probably because eight of his points came while the Bucks were trailing by 20 or more, and they didn’t feel very impactful.

Grade: C+

Bobby Portis​

23 minutes, 22 points, 4 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 9/16 FG, 4/10 3PT, -5

Doc praised Bobby in the postgame presser for playing with the most energy he had played with all season, and I agree; Portis has looked more confident, and it’s showing. I would like to see him put a tad more energy into defense and rebounding, but scoring 22 off the bench was the big boost the Bucks needed with Green out injured for the entire second half.

Grade: B+

Gary Trent Jr.​

24 minutes, 6 points, 3 assists, 2/5 FG, 1/4 3PT, -3

Trent hasn’t really looked like himself all season. He’s shooting the third-worst from three-point range in his career, and the second-worst since he became a regular rotation player (he shot 23.8% as a rookie, but only played in 15 games). The four days in between today’s game against Detroit and next Thursday’s against Boston are going to be a much-needed reset for Trent.

Grade: C-

Gary Harris​

21 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 fouls, 2 turnovers, -8

It was a rough day at the office for Harris. He only got one shot up, and his defense was not all that notable. Just a bad performance start to finish for GH.

Grade: D+

Doc Rivers​

Doc continues to perplex with his rotation decisions at center. He subs Turner out with over three and a half minutes to go in the third and doesn’t put him back in until 2:24 left in the fourth, with the Bucks down by 12 points. These are the games that make the crowd who want Rivers gone speak even louder, and I can’t say they’re wrong.

Grade: D

Incomplete: AJ Green

Garbage Time: Cole Anthony, Andre Jackson Jr., Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Pete Nance, Amir Coffey

Inactive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Doc gave an update on the status of AJ Green, who left he game with a left shoulder contunsion in the second quarter. As of the writing of this, they don’t know the severity of the injury and will conduct an MRI tomorrow in Detroit.

• When asked for his reasoning to play Bobby Portis and Jericho Sims together down the stretch and keep Turner on the bench until the 2:24 mark of the fourth quarter, this is what Rivers had to say:

“Bobby was playing well, we wanted a roller (Sims). We could’ve easily played Bobby and Myles together, which we’ll do at times. We just felt like we needed one roller to create shots, and Bobby was playing well.”

• The Bucks had a chance to win their second game in a row for the first time since the opening week of the season, when they beat the Knicks and Warriors. I asked Kevin Porter Jr. what were some of the biggest issues preventing them from stringing any wins together:

“I think one reason is we haven’t had a full team; secondly, we’re trying to find our way, and still figure things out with the absences. AJ went down, so we lost another big piece to start the second half. We’ve got to start off with the right energy; we always finish with the right energy, but we’ve got to start with the right energy.”

• Bobby Portis was asked how he’s been trying to help the Bucks’ young point guards in Rollins and KPJ in the two-man game with him:

“After practice me, Ryan and Cole, we always just get together and shoot shots and then work some pick and roll things. I think over the last couple of months, we’ve been doing that since training camp. With Ryan, he comes to my house a lot, and we watch games, so that’s like my dog, for real; been doing that for a year now. So we have a great rapport and chemistry.”

• The Bucks are now 1-6 when Giannis doesn’t play this season.

Up Next​

The Milwaukee Bucks will play their third game of the season against the Detroit Pistons tonight. They’ll head on the road to play in Little Caesars Arena at 6:30 p.m. Central; the game will be televised on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

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

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks player grades through the first quarter

Last Monday, we averaged out our game-by-game player grade for each Buck over the season’s first 21 contests, which is roughly 25% of the year. Within that, we also gave readers a chance to give their own grades. Below are the results of that polling, with the Brew Hoop grade listed in parentheses.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (A-)​

A+ 25%, A 44%, A- 19%, B+ 9%, B 0%, B- 3%

Myles Turner (B-)​

A- 3%, B+ 9%, B 21%, B- 26%, C+ 21%, C 15%, C- 3%, D 3%

Ryan Rollins (B+)​

A+ 12%, A 6%, A- 48%, B+ 24%, B 9%

AJ Green (B-)​

A- 3%, B+ 21%, B 36%, B- 24%, C+ 12% C- 3%

Gary Trent Jr. (C+)​

A- 3%, B+ 3%, B 3%, B- 3%, C+ 21%, C 30%, C- 30%, D+ 9%

Bobby Portis (C+)​

B 3%, B- 9%, C+ 27%, C 36%, C- 18%, D+ 3%

Kyle Kuzma (B)​

A- 12%, B+ 30%, B 27%, B- 15%, C+ 9%, C 3%, C- 3%

Cole Anthony (C)​

A- 3%, B+ 3%, B- 3%, C+ 15%, C 21%, C- 21%, D+ 15%, D 12%, D- 3%, F 3%

Jericho Sims (C+)​

B 6%, B- 21%, C+ 21%, C 33%, C- 12%, D+ 3%, D 3%

Taurean Prince (B-)​

B 21%, B- 24%, C+ 24%, C 15%, C- 9%, D+ 3%

Gary Harris (B-)​

B+ 3%, B 21%, B- 15%, C+ 21%, C 21%, C- 15%

Amir Coffey (C+)​

B- 6%, C+ 3%, C 28%, C- 16%, D+ 19%, D 19%, D- 3%, F 6%

Doc Rivers (B-)​

B+ 3%, B 12%, B- 15%, C+ 12%, C 21%, C- 12%, D+ 3%, D 9%, D- 3%, F 12%

We’ll repeat this exercise again at the season’s halfway mark, which comes in mid-January. Thanks for your votes.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-polls/55583/milwaukee-bucks-first-quarter-player-grades

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks Poll: Your thoughts on the Giannis rumors

There’s little reason to rehash the latest round of rumors reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania and some of the contradicting claims made by Brian Windhorst last week regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee. The most disappointing thing to me, though, is not the usual slop they feed us (I expect it from the “worldwide leader”). It’s how Bucks fans’ opinions have been shaped by the national media, which has long been suspected of a bias toward Giannis leaving for a larger market.

Set aside what Giannis wants—the most critical thing here—for a moment. If he wants to be a Buck, you don’t trade him. Full stop. He is still one of the best two or three players in the game, and you can absolutely build a title contender around him. It’s clear that this team isn’t that at the moment, and while opinions differ on how they could return to that status, the cupboard is not as bare in Milwaukee as many think, given the small pool of young, controllable talent they’ve amassed plus two tradeable firsts. As long as Giannis is in his prime and on the roster, the likelihood of a title team exists, no matter how small. If he leaves, that likelihood is gone in the short term, with no guarantee it will reemerge. Trading him represents a rebuild, and smart franchises don’t rebuild when they have a player of Giannis’ caliber unless the player asks out. Given the choice, keep the sure thing rather than risk the unknown.

In this week’s Tuesday Tracker, vote based on what your personal feelings on Giannis’ future vis-a-vis the Bucks should unfold. Forget about what you might have read/heard—what do you want for the team as a fan? Also, weigh in on ESPN’s coverage of the whole affair plus Bobby Portis’ upcoming trade eligibility.

As always, this poll will be open until midnight Central on Friday, and we’ll post the results later that day. Thanks for voting!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-polls/55591/milwaukee-bucks-poll-giannis-antetokounmpo-trade-rumors

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Momentum Moments: Vol. 3

Sugar. Cigarettes. Alcohol. Take your pick. None of them have been enough to ease the wounds of the past fortnight. Still, there were moments—and we can learn from them. Come for a walk; see what you can find.

@ Cavs​

Giannis prophesies that good teams don’t lose two games in a row, and he’s on a self-fulfilling mission, scoring or assisting on the Bucks’ first 23 points. Milwaukee fires on all cylinders early, but Donavon Mitchell’s wizardry—windmill gathers into contested finishes, stop-on-a-dime pull-up threes, hang-time layups—brings the Cavs right back into it. Then, every Bucks fan’s worst nightmare: Giannis exits the game with an injury. And he doesn’t return after the half. The Bucks put in a gutsy third, sticking with the Cavs right down to the final seconds behind strong play from Myles Turner and Ryan Rollins. Then, score tied, shot clock off, Mitchell slices through several defenders and finishes with the left, giving The Land a two-point lead.

With just 5.2 ticks left, AJ Green inbounds to a charging Cole Anthony—head down, trying to conjure a final basket. But the spacing is terrible, and he ventures straight into the hot gates of a congested sideline: Gary Trent Jr., Jericho Sims, three Cavaliers, and the sideline referee. Bodies everywhere. Like he’s been dropped into 300. Lonzo Ball plays magician, teleports in front of and then beside Anthony, who loses his handle in the confusion, and Ball hunts the loose ball, taps it to Craig Porter Jr. for the lay-in at the buzzer. This is madness, you think. “This is Cleveland!” the crowd roars. And they’ve just cut the Bucks’ throat.

Win probability prior to Mitchell’s layup: 42.7%

Win probability after Ball’s steal and Porter’s layup: 26.1%

vs. 76ers​

The 76ers are in town, and Allen Iv—err, Tyrese Maxey is cooking. He moves like a hummingbird, slipping past defenders and finishing over and over at the rim, stepping back for deep threes that hit nothing but net. The Bucks are without their superstar, but they put up a fight, with Rollins, Kuzma, and Portis stepping up. And if it isn’t for a questionable offensive foul call on Trent—and subsequent challenge that is somehow upheld—the game ends in regulation.

In overtime, the 76ers win the tip, and this fan wonders if the Bucks have won any this season? Both sides trade misses to start, and when Quentin Grimes gets a defensive board and finds Justin Edwards behind the line in the corner, the Bucks breathe a sigh of relief—he’s 0-6 from that range on the night. Of course, he splashes it, and then doubles down with a pull-up middy to beat the shot clock just 45 seconds later; 76ers by five, the sting all but gone. Yet, the Bucks stay resilient, a Portis hook and Rollins basket off a Trent steal cutting it to one, and the crowd comes back to life.

It seems Grimes ends things once and for all when he nails an end-of-shut-clock three, but Rollins will not be denied, and it remains a two-point game with just a minute to go. Determined, Grimes tries again, this time getting to the free-throw line. He sinks the first, but it’s on the second shot—a miss—that the game is finally over. Edwards snags the offensive board—Philly’s 11th of the night to just three for the Bucks—and Grimes finds his way back to the line where he won’t miss again.

Win probability after Grimes’ missed free throw: 21.4%

Win probability after Edwards’ offensive rebound: 13%

vs. Pistons​

The scores might be 0-0 to start, but the Bucks are already hanging off the edge of the cliff—the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons have arrived at Fiserv, winners of 11 straight. The Bucks do surprisingly well for much of the first half, mostly behind the shot-making of one Bobby Buckets, and it’s a still-within-reach nine-point game when Rolllins makes a contested driving finish with 1:35 left on the clock. Get a stop and a score and it’s game on in the second half. But Rollins is frustrated at the non-call on his finish and lashes out at the ref. Gets T’d up. The frustration is understandable—the Bucks are bottom three in the league in free throw attempts, and Rollins will get the call next year when he’s an established up-and-coming star—but right now it’s costly. Cade Cunningham hits the technical free throw, and the Pistons go on a 7-0 run to end the half, capped off by an Ausar Thompson transition dunk following a swipe from a still-very-frustrated Rollins. Giannis and Kevin Porter Jr. can’t return soon enough.

Win probability after Rollins’ layup: 13.9%

Win probability after Thompson’s dunk: 4.4%

vs. Trail Blazers​

In an alternate reality, Kyle Kuzma’s drawn charge with 18.5 seconds left in the first quarter results in a Bucks’ score on the other end that makes it a one-possession game. More than that, it shifts the Bucks’ defensive focus, and they open the second with a renewed ferocity and attention to detail that spurs a run based on stops and scores. Turner gets in on the action, finding his defensive mojo, and the team moves like marionettes under the control of a master puppeteer. Ends the half with a double-digit lead. In our reality, Kuzma’s effort is in vain, and the Bucks go down by 12 at the half. 19 at three-quarter time. 31 at the 8:41 mark of the fourth. They cut it back to 12 to end, making the history books appear more respectable, but this was all garbahj time, and this game—this collective effort—was just that. Trash.

Win probability after Kuzma draws the charge in an alternate reality: 92%

Win probability after Kuzma draws the charge in our reality: 41%

@ Heat​

NBA Cup, the Bucks live for this. “Undefeated. Never lost!” they scream as if LaVar. Fast forward to the fourth, it’s winning time. The scene is set and the reflectional symmetry is the stuff of gods (or at least screenwriters): the Heat have won five straight, the Bucks have lost five straight. Trent, back in the starting lineup after six games off the pine, hits a three to reduce the Miami lead to six. No Giannis, no Porter, no Taurean Prince, fans turning on them, but they’re in this, stifling the best offence in the league. A minute goes by, and the scores remain the same until Tyler Herro decides to do something about it, making a decelerating floater from nine feet. In the blink of an eye, Rollins slithers baseline to get it right back, and a Heat turnover gives the Bucks the ball.

Trent misses a tough look from the left corner, and the possession gets chaotic—the rebound turns into a pinball, Kuzma becomes the flipper, and tries to fire the ball through Green’s chest. Somehow, it gets to Trent, who’s relocated from the left to the right corner, and he splashes it home. The bench rises, the stakes too. So does your pulse. You don’t know why, but the moment feels perfect. And then it hits you—left corner miss, right corner make. Reflectional symmetry.

Bam Adebayo and Rollins trade big buckets, and soon enough, the Bucks have possession, down three, shot clock turned off, Trent already back in the right corner. Watching. Waiting. Hands ready. The action is high—Rollins finds Green finds Turner—and he’s as decisive as he’s been all night, fires away from three, six ticks on the clock. But it’s iron, and after Davion Mitchell comes down with the rebound, Trent—still all alone in the corner, hands still ready—eventually concedes he’s not getting the shot. And the Bucks aren’t getting that elusive win.

Win probability after Trent’s relocation three: 15.1%

Win probability after Turner’s miss: 6.5%

@ Knicks​

Bucks, Knicks. It’s Friday night at MSG, NBA Cup dreams on the line. Giannis returns—praise the gods—and the Bucks get off to a hot start, with string music in the first so good it’d make Hans Zimmer proud. The scoreboard reads like a game of tag: 37-33 after one, 62-61 at the half, 92-88 after three. It’s a game of runs, but neither side can break away. In the fourth, the home crowd is relentless, the pressure building, but the Bucks’ dam holds. Then a crack—Miles McBride hits a 27-footer. He follows it up with a defensive rebound and splashes another from deep. The water starts gushing through. A possession later, Josh Hart gets the board and finds Marquette alum Tyler Kolek, who hits another triple, and the geyser is too much, the dam collapsing. Time out, Bucks; Knicks up 13.

Somehow, the Bucks stay the course, do their best Phil Swift, and spam the dam with Flex Tape. It almost holds too. But a costly foul by Giannis sends Jalen Brunson to the line for three free throws, and the Bucks run out of tape. Game, Knicks. The Bucks head to the locker room losers of seven straight—their longest losing streak since the franchise-worst 15-win season of 2013–14. Yikes.

Win probability to start the third: 26%

Win probability after the Kolek’s three: 4.1%

vs. Nets​

Once more into the fray. Into the last good fight they’ll ever know… Kevin Porter Jr. is back, and the Bucks look like a different team from the jump; the rotation is just so much more balanced. Porter goes to brush the dust off, but there is none, and he connects on his first triple, goes on to finish the half a perfect 4/4 from the field (including three from downtown). Brooklyn is without its, um, stars? But their rookies step up, Danny Wolf showing he’s got some teeth—four threes, an off-the-bounce flush, a notice-me 17 points by the major break. The Bucks have had enough, though. Giannis turns into Liam Neeson, gets the and-one to go on Wolf, pulls out a tooth. Bucks up 18. Then, sick of hearing about Noah Clowney’s shooting against the Bucks—KABOOM!—Turner detonates one on his head. And the Bucks never look back… live and die on fly from this day.

Win probability after Wolf’s fourth three: 79.9%

Win probability after Giannis’ and-one: 96.9%

@ Wizards​

Directions for viewing:

1. Check the schedule. See they’re playing the lowly Wizards, who have won just 2 games all season long and are without Alex Sarr—their leading scorer and arguably best player.
2. Note that the Bucks are finally healthy, fresh off a tune-up game against the Danny Wolf-led Nets.
3. Convince yourself they’re ready to remind the world of the optimism of the season’s opening week and a half.
4. Relax as KPJ lives up to your expectations and the hype. Revel in his dominance. Enjoy the swag of his back-to-back threes that force a timeout, Bucks up 16. Think that this is done—game over. Know it’s probably not.
5. Furrow your brows at all the Marvin Bagley III second-chance points, the CJ McCollum layups going right, the Cam Whitmore dunks.
6. Shake your head at Portis, at how he’s blind to the Justin Champagnie layup to beat the third-quarter horn.
7. Feel it when KPJ grabs his back, heads to the sidelines.
8. Curse when Giannis falls victim to his ego again, chucks a fall-away middy with the game on the line, then flops on the miss and doesn’t get back on defence.
9. Hold your breath as it leads to a clutch Khris Middleton three. Wince at the poetic irony.
10. Expect Giannis to split the free throws and McCollum to hit the running, contested three against the pressure of the shot-clock. Hand him the heart that’s been ripped out of your chest.
11. Stare, numb—the rage festering away inside—when the final siren blows. When you’re at a loss for words. When you bleed green and cream, but can’t take much more of this.
12. Bang your head on the bricks. Then get ready to do it all again.

Win probability after KPJ’s back-to-back threes: 95.9%

Win probability after Portis concedes the layup to Champagnie: 71.6%

vs. Pistons​

The Bucks are down, and big media is up and about, Giannis trade request rumours riding wavelengths across the globe. And just when it seems things can’t get any worse, Giannis leaves the game in the first three minutes with an ominous lower leg injury. Lillard, Tatum, Halliburton. The images flash through the forefront of Bucks fans’ minds, uninvited. Somewhere in the back, Durant and Kobe do too.

But there’s a game to be played and the Bucks are hanging in it—somehow, after being down 18—against the Eastern Conference leading Detroit Pistons. It’s 7:18 in the fourth, Pistons up four, and Porter has just tracked down a defensive board. He lopes the ball across half-court on the right side, eyes up like any good guard does. Then he spots Green on the opposite wing and skips the ball ahead. Somewhere, Andre Miller smiles. Green catches it in stride and rises for three. Bucket. 19 seconds later, Kuzma finds Green again and it’s never in doubt. Same spot, same result. Bucks up two.

The game ebbs and flows for the next five or so minutes, looking for a hero. Enter Jericho Sims. Down two, Rollins misses on a tough drive, but in a twist of poetic justice, it’s the Bucks who get the offensive rebound, Sims laying in the put-back. He converts the and-one, nabs himself a career high 15 points—to go along with a career high 14 boards—and the bi-polar Bucks pull it out. What in the world is going on?

Win probability prior to Green’s back-to-back threes: 27.3%

Win probability after Sims’ and-one: 55.4%

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Volume 3 speaks to the Bucks’ volatility. When things click, they can hang with the best of them, but they’ve got absolutely zero margin for error, and compound this with a lack of self-awareness, carrying themselves like an All-Star squad, too cool to do the dirty stuff. The lessons are there, the moments highlighted. But is anyone listening?

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-feat...um-moments-giannis-ryan-rollins-gary-trent-jr

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

The future is now, Doc: Why Milwaukee needs a fresh head coach

“I’m tired of f-ing doing this every game. F-ing play harder!”

That’s a quote from a Will Hardy rant during a timeout this week. Hardy, who coaches the tanking Jazz, doesn’t have to be saying that. His team isn’t good, and they’re not trying to be. Absolutely nobody was expecting them to beat the unstoppable Thunder in the game where his crashout occurred. Yet, Hardy is still going above and beyond for his club, even if it’s in a somewhat controversial fashion. The young coach holds his guys accountable, trying to instill winning habits in the young minds that are hopefully going to grow into cornerstones for the franchise.

Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, Doc Rivers is twiddling his thumbs while everything falls apart around him.

On December 2nd, Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered an embarrassing effort for a player of his caliber as the Bucks fell short to the inexperienced (and flat-out bad) Wizards. He scored 26 points in 31 minutes, yes, but his lapses in defensive attention and shot selection were inexcusable. The Greek Freak even picked up a 10-second violation at the free-throw line, which is unacceptable. As the head of the snake, he’s gotta do better. This team goes where he goes. Someone needs to be in his ear, reminding him that, and in theory, that would be Rivers. Yet, all Doc had to say about Giannis’ performance was this:

“The five turnovers [are] probably what he would like back, but other than that, he played pretty well.”

Throughout the season, Doc has been deflecting blame for shortcomings onto himself and the coaching staff, rather than the players. While it’s probably a good call to avoid publicly scapegoating players, it’s evident in the on-court product that he isn’t doing enough behind closed doors to hold his guys accountable. With a couple exceptions (sans-Giannis wins against Golden State and Detroit, for example), the Bucks have looked like less than the sum of their parts this year. Doc failing to maximize his rosters is far from a new problem. It happened time and time again with the Clippers and 76ers, and even the Damian Lillard version of Milwaukee didn’t meet expectations. Rivers just sits back and lets his stars do whatever they want, which isn’t a winning formula.

In contrast, coaches like Hardy, Brooklyn’s Jordi Fernandez, and Phoenix’s Jordan Ott are building scrappy competitors out of subpar squads. They turn rag-tag groups of role players and fringe guys into unselfish hives of hustle and fearlessness. The Jazz and Nets are bottom-feeders, but their tanking efforts have been actively harmed by Hardy and Fernandez making their teams walking trap games. These first-time coaches are establishing identities in franchises that need them, and it’s tough to imagine them not achieving serious success whenever they finally have competent rosters to work with. Seeing what Hardy, Fernandez, Ott, and more are accomplishing makes it obvious that the Bucks need a fresh face behind the clipboard.

Milwaukee is 10-15 right now, and with Giannis out, they’re only going to fall further below .500. They’re awfully far away from winning a playoff series or two, which is always the goal with Antetokounmpo at the helm. It’s going to take more than just one trade or a crazy hot streak to get this team back in contention. That’s why Doc has to go. He’s stale. Young guns are running the league right now—even Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault is only 40 years old.

Now, bringing in another first-time head coach probably isn’t the move, unless the unspeakable trade happens. We saw what happened with Adrian Griffin. There are a lot of great minds out there waiting on their first opportunity, but a rookie coach needs the same grace and time that young players get in order to truly flourish. Still, just hiring literally anyone else to coach this team would give things a much-needed shake-up. Find a veteran. Cleveland got better when they swapped J.B. Bickerstaff for Kenny Atkinson. The Knicks look fresher after bringing in Mike Brown. It doesn’t matter who the alternative is; it’s just time for Doc Rivers to go, because he’s made it clear he can’t help this team reach its desired heights.

Sorry Doc, you’re a Hall of Famer, but the future is now, old man.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-anal...s-doc-rivers-will-hardy-giannis-antetokounmpo

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks show interest in trading for Chris Paul

Marc Stein of The Stein Line has reported that the Bucks are among the teams that have shown interest in trading for LA Clippers guard Chris Paul, who was recently sent home by the franchise. I guess the idea would be that the Bucks need more primary initiators. For what it’s worth, I think the chances CP3 ends up a Buck are slim for several reasons. First and most obvious, I’m not so sure a 40-year-old point guard, who is clearly on a significant decline, is fixing much of anything. Second, he has in the past prioritised being close to his family, who live on the West Coast.

But most important of all, Giannis doesn’t exactly seem to love the future Hall of Fame PG. There was the beef last season after Antetokounmpo felt like Paul fouled him in an unsportsmanlike manner late in the Bucks’ February 1 loss to the Spurs. The foul ended up being ruled as a common one upon review, but both players remained on the court after the game, exchanging barbs; Giannis did not mince words in his postgame remarks:

“People that know me, they don’t try me. If you try me, it’s a different side. If you try me, you’re gonna get that different side of me. At the end of the day, I think we’re all men. We all respect one another.”

“If words cross the line, then there’s got to be consequences. I really don’t say much. I don’t say much to start with, try to play the game the right way. If I feel like you’re putting my livelihood, my career and my body in jeopardy, in danger, enough is enough, brother. I have a family to feed, and what makes you laugh can also make you cry sometimes.”

Of course, your mileage may vary on whether Paul’s shove of Antetokounmpo in Game 5 of the 2021 NBA Finals, as GA threw down the iconic “valley-oop,” was untoward. Regardless, there aren’t many indicators that Giannis likes CP3, while there are plenty that suggest he does not. In a moment where the Bucks superstar’s future seemingly remains up in the air, bringing in a player he has had gripes with seems like a bad idea.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-rumors/55683/milwaukee-bucks-nba-trade-chris-paul-giannis-la-clippers

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Preview: A silver linings playbook

Coming off an extended break due to the NBA Cup quarterfinals, the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics are back in action tonight at Fiserv Forum. Trending in opposite directions—the Bucks are 2-8 over their last ten games while the Celtics are 8-2—tonight’s grapple of the greens will be a difficult one for the Bucks, but offers the chance of righting the ship (or at least grabbing the compass).

Where We’re At​

In literature, pathetic fallacy refers to the attribution of human emotions to naturally occurring things—such as the weather—and is often symbolic, representing the internal states of characters. It’s fitting then that the National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for Wisconsin for the days prior to tonight’s game, indicating conditions that were expected to cause inconveniences. After all, nearly everything about this season has been an inconvenience for the Bucks (and their fans). An Opening Night injury to Kevin Porter Jr. Taurean Prince being ruled out indefinitely. Giannis succumbing to injury on two occasions. Key players performing worse than expectations (see Trent Jr., Gary). Losing streaks. Trade rumours. In fact, it’s surprising that a winter storm warning wasn’t issued instead. Of course, this means that things could get worse. So, as the Bucks meander in a darkened present, they absolutely must heed its lessons; find the silver linings. So far, there’s been at least two. Amidst the storm, Porter has returned like greased lightning and looks to be one half of a foundational backcourt alongside Ryan Rollins, who’s oozed comfort and star potential in a bigger role. Will there be others? Who knows—that’s why they play the games. But what better way to start finding out than a battle against old foes in green?

Winners of five straight, the Boston Celtics sit third in the Eastern Conference after many pegged them as a play-in team following Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tear and the team’s subsequent offseason moves. Boston currently has the fourth best point differential (+6.7) in the entire league and has shown similar ability to win on the road (7-5) as it has at home (8-4). Unsurprisingly, Jaylen Brown has led the way, averaging 29.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 4.9 APG, and has recently been awarded Eastern Conference Player of the Week for his efforts. But perhaps the biggest factor in the Celtics’ run has been the play of Derrick White, who is surging after an early season funk adjusting to an enhanced role. Outside of Brown and White—and Payton Pritchard, who has also stepped up, averaging career-highs in the three major counting stats—the Celtics have thrived by shooting the long ball (a league-leading 16.0 makes per game) and protecting the rock (just 11.8 turnovers per game, best in the league). Consequently, the Celtics rank second in the league in offensive rating (122.0). Needless to say, this bodes ominously for a Bucks team that has struggled on the defensive end of the court.

Injury Report​

For the Bucks, Taurean Prince (neck) and Giannis (calf) remain out. AJ Green (shoulder) is questionable after missing Saturday’s game against the Detroit Pistons.

For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum remains out, rehabilitating from his Achilles tear last season.

Player Position To Watch​

If you were told that a Bucks’ offseason signee was leading the (non-Giannis) frontcourt in minutes per game at this point of the season, you probably wouldn’t be surprised. After all, they’d just waived and stretched Damian Lillard to acquire Myles Turner in free agency. They’d also just re-signed Bobby Portis to a three-year deal, so it wouldn’t be that surprising if it was him. But no one would’ve thought it would be Jericho Sims. Yet, here we are. Over the last five games, Sims has led the Bucks’ bigs in minutes, averaging 26.4 MPG to Turner’s 23.2 MPG and Portis’ 22.4 MPG. To his credit, Sims has played quite well—he’s easily the best rebounder of the three, the best on-ball defender, and nearly never misses from the field. He even hit a game-winning go-ahead and-one against the Detroit Pistons.

But Sims playing “quite well” is more about him exceeding expectations than it is about him actually contributing to the Bucks’ success. And why Doc Rivers is favouring Sims recently after the team invested so much in Turner is baffling. At 27 years of age, it’s not as if he’s a blue-chip, up-and-coming talent that screams foundational piece moving forward if he’s just given the opportunity. There’s really nothing in the advanced numbers that point to Sims being better now either. So, is this a ploy to find another silver lining and showcase Sims in the hope of a future trade? Is it a knee-jerk reaction to the team’s struggles on the boards and, more generally, the defensive end? Or is it about sending a message to Turner to improve his play? We all want that, and granted, Turner has been underwhelming, but it’s not as if Rivers is putting Turner in positions to excel either—he’s largely been relegated to standing on the three-point line on offence and poorly utilised on defence too (bring back the drop!). Tonight then, pay close attention to which of Milwaukee’s bigs gets the most of the minutes and, just as importantly, if there are any signs that Rivers looks to better utilise his $109m man in the middle.

How To Watch​

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

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

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 116, Celtics 101

The Milwaukee Bucks picked up their second win in the month of December, taking down the third-seeded Boston Celtics, 116-101, after overcoming a rough opening six minutes of the game. Kyle Kuzma set a new season-high with 31 points, while Bobby Portis added another 27 off the bench. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 30 points on 10/17 shooting.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

The Bucks fell behind big in the first quarter for the third straight game at Fiserv Forum. After the Celtics made it a six-point game and Doc Rivers called a timeout, they outscored the Bucks 9-2 to take a 21-8 lead midway through the first quarter. Boston’s three-point prowess was on display, starting the game 5/7 from beyond the arc. Despite that, Milwaukee found a way to chip into Boston’s lead, thanks to Gary Trent Jr. and Bobby Portis. They helped spark a 19-7 run to bring the game within one point with 1:30 left in the frame. The former All-Star Jaylen Brown took over on the Celtics’ final two possessions, hitting a three and then a step-back mid-range jumper to put Boston up by six, 35-29, heading into the second.

Even with the positives at the end of the first quarter, the Bucks quickly fell behind by double digits in the second quarter. After Jordan Walsh finished an and-one opportunity to put Boston up by 10, they went on an 8-4 run to get up to their largest lead of the night at 14 points, 52-38, with 6:16 left in the quarter. Milwaukee would swing back again, though, with a 16-6 run, thanks in part to eight straight points from Kyle Kuzma. A Ryan Rollins three would polish off the run, getting Boston’s lead down to just four with 2:49 left in the first half. The Bucks stayed in contact and had it within four points with 16 seconds left. Yet, after Cole Anthony helped double Derrick White, he found Walsh open in the corner for a three, and he buried it with just seconds on the clock; the three put the C’s up by seven going into the locker room, 67-60.

Kuzma continued his impressive play from the second quarter into the third. After falling behind by double-digits again, Kuzma scored seven of the Bucks’ nine points to get the game back within two. The Bucks were then finally able to take the lead, thanks to some Kevin Porter Jr. free throws. They expanded that lead when BP hit three straight buckets, including a mid-range fadeaway over Brown; of course, Portis taunted him right after, resulting in a technical foul. After the technical free throw, the Celtics’ offense went cold, scoring just two points in the final 3:34 of the quarter—and the Bucks took advantage. Milwaukee outscored Beantown 5-2 over that stretch, with a couple of makes from the rarely used Cole Anthony. The run sent the Bucks to the fourth quarter with a seven-point lead, 87-80.

Portis caught fire right at the start of the fourth, nailing back-to-back shots on the first two possessions. It was part of an opening 11-4 run by Milwaukee to get their largest lead of the night at 14 points. The home team continued to ride Portis’ hot hand, hitting two more threes to put the Bucks up by 17. With the Celtics unable to get out of their shooting slump, the Bucks kept pushing the issue, going up by 20 points with just over three minutes left. That was more than enough for the Bucks to put the cue in the rack, as they cruised to the 15-point win.

Stat That Stood Out​

The Boston Celtics in the 2020s have been defined by taking and making many shots from the three-point line. Coming into this season, even without Jayson Tatum, they sat at 11th in the league in three-point percentage (36.9) and third in attempts (43.3). After going 11-21 (52.4%) in the first half from deep, the Celtics started the second half with 16 straight misses from three-point range. They didn’t make their first three of the half until the 7:38 mark of the fourth quarter. Altogether in the second half, the Celtics shot 3/28 (10.7%) from three.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-scor...re-recap-bobby-portis-kyle-kuzma-jaylen-brown