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[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Tracking Poll Results: Week 22

Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Despite a pair of wins, things still look bleak in Dame’s absence.

In this week’s Tuesday Tracker, we checked to see how you, the wonderful readers, felt about Damian Lillard’s prospects of returning this season, who should take his place in the starting lineup while he’s out, where the Bucks will finish in the Eastern Conference, and whether they can beat their likely playoff opponents, the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks. Here are the highlights:

• Most of you do not share the same optimism as Doc Rivers and the Bucks org, thinking Dame will not return to play this season.
• Surprisingly, Ryan Rollins got 63% of the votes on who should start while Dame is out. I do understand not messing with the good thing that KPJ has coming off the bench.
• The Bucks have a few issues but defense was the “winner.”
• Things don’t look optimistic for playoff seeding either, as 86% of voters think Milwaukee will finish 6th at best.
• Regardless of the seeding, fans don’t think the Bucks will win their first-round series against the Knicks or the Pacers without Dame.
• It’s clear that the outlooks on Doc Rivers, Jon Horst, and Milwaukee’s title chances are very negative.

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

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/4/2...ll-results-nba-playoffs-damian-lillard-injury

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat Preview: Turning down the Heat?

Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images

The Bucks try to stop a surging Heat squad

The Milwaukee Bucks will tonight attempt to slow down the Miami Heat, who had won six straight prior to their last game against the Grizzlies (where they lost at the buzzer). Milwaukee has performed well against Miami this season, winning all three prior matchups.

Where We’re At​

After losing four in a row, the Bucks have won their last two. They continue to make things very hard for themselves, but they’ve found ways to get it done; granted, against teams they should have beaten handily. Can Milwaukee have a game where they improve at the little things—low turnovers, good defensive rebounding, execution of basic defensive schemes—and require the opponent to beat them, as opposed to the Bucks beating themselves? We’ll see.

Like I mentioned, the Heat have been on a roll of late following their 10-game losing streak. They rank second on both offence and defence over the last seven games. That is impressive because the Heat have, historically, really struggled to score enough. Their defence has long been the more reliable element to their gameplan.

Injury Report​

The only change from last game is AJ Green’s (right AC joint sprain) designation; he is now probable to play, as is Giannis (left foot sprain). Lillard (right calf deep vein thrombosis), Sims (right thumb UCL sprain), and Portis (league suspension) are all out.

For the Heat, the following players are out: Andrew Wiggins, Dru Smith, Kevin Love, and Nikola Jović. Tyler Herro and Haywood Highsmith are both questionable.

Player To Watch​

Well, off the back of his historical triple-double against the 76ers, how will Giannis attack the Heat’s more rugged defence? Setting great screens, both by Giannis and for Giannis, will be key to moving Bam Adebayo around and not allowing him to purely focus on Antetokounmpo.

How To Watch​

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

Playback Streaming​

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/5/2...-preview-start-time-tv-schedule-injury-report

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 121, Heat 115 (OT)

Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images

Bucks pull out another ugly win, but we’ll take it

The Milwaukee Bucks gutted out the 121-115 overtime win tonight against the Miami Heat in a game that was… not pretty, shall we say. Giannis had another otherworldly triple double, this time with 36-15-10. KPJ was definitely the Bucks’ second-best with his own near-triple-double of 24 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists. Bam Adebayo led the Heat with a crazy stat line of 31 points and 12 rebounds.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

Bam Adebayo, who had been shooting the three better of late, nailed two threes to start for the Heat. The Bucks got off to a decent start too but also showed the same bad lacklustre transition defence they had been showing of late, losing Duncan Robinson (off a make) as he hit a three to tie the game at 11 through five minutes. Then Giannis went out and scoring really dried up, with Milwaukee notching just 11 more points in the period as they ended the first down 22-30.

Kevin Porter Jr. came up big in the second, giving the Bucks 10 points off the bench working in the pick-and-roll with Lopez. Additionally, Pat Connaughton made another cameo and showed his veteran savvy with five points and two assists in the second to bolster the Bucks. But Bam Adebayo, who had 23 at halftime, continued to keep Miami close with Tyler Herro out. Game tied at 57 going into the locker room.

Giannis scored the Bucks’ first seven points of the half to put the Bucks up 66-61, but a Rollins offensive foul and (another) flailing Kuzma attempt allowed the Heat to get right back into it, grabbing a 71-68 lead as Doc called the timeout. Bucks down 81-88 after three and struggling.

Milwaukee responded well to open the fourth, grabbing the lead back at 96-95 with about seven minutes to play; they had two back-breaking possessions to extend the lead but couldn’t score, and the Heat grabbed the lead right back the next possession. Giannis then had what I want to say was a one-minute break and Miami capitalised, extending their lead to 102-96 with about four left. The Bucks went on a five-minute scoring drought, but the Heat also went dry, before a Brook layup and a KPJ triple got the deficit down to 105-107 with 2:07 remaining. Amazingly, the Bucks tied the game at 111 with a chance to win… but Gianis dribbled the ball for 18 seconds and settled for a fadeaway pullup jumper. Yep. OT it is!

Bam scored the first bucket in OT, TP answered, Adebayo hit another tough jumper, but Porter got the massive O board and laid it back in to tie the game at 115. The Bucks then got a stop, but Giannis got hit with the offensive foul… which was reversed on the challenge! Then (because of course) the Bucks turned it over on the inbound right after, but the Heat turned it (back over) and Giannis got out for the transition dunk! They then got another awesome stop and actually got into an action, KPJ split the double and put in the flailing floater at the rim! Bucks up four at 119-115 with 11 seconds left! From there, they played the foul game and got the win in a truly stupid conclusion to a basketball game.

Stat That Stood Out​

Kyle Kuzma was rough tonight. Nine points on 4/13 shooting and 1/6 from three. -15 in 25 minutes. Not much else to say, really.

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/5/2...debayo-kevin-porter-jr-alec-burks-brook-lopez

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. New Orleans Pelicans Preview: Beak first

I know something that can make us both happy

The Milwaukee Bucks will be playing a game of basketball against the group of men currently donning the jerseys of the New Orleans Pelicans. After the ironic snow situation early this season, this is their first matchup against Nola this year, with the second coming on Thursday. Good timing.

Where We’re At​

#winning! Caveat: against the Suns, Sixers, and Heat. It’s hard to find the right balance of expectations for this Bucks team. They’re without Dame, Bobby, and Jericho Sims, so we shouldn’t expect any cakewalks. But against opposition like that without their top talent (KD, Herro, literally everyone in Philly), I expect to be eating cake a little sooner than the dregs of the game. Opponents continue to get more shots on the strength of turnovers and offensive rebounds, a math game that will obey the law of large numbers in the end. The race to avoid the Knicks continues apace.

The Pelicans are bad. Like, real bad. How bad? It was a struggle to find a photo for this article that featured a current Buck and a current Pelican—admittedly due to myriad factors (trades, injuries, first meeting this season), but notable nonetheless. Congrats to Jose Alvarado for making the cut with his 10.1 ppg, even if he’s questionable to play! (Among active Pelicans, he’s the second leading scorer!!) Currently the 4th worst team in the league, their only recent wins have come against similarly anemic teams (Hornets, Sixers). Expect an inexplicably close game before both teams come to their senses in the final frame.

Injury Report​

As the SEGABABA, the Bucks’ injury report will be released later today. Yesterday, AJ Green and Giannis were probable and both suited up while Dame, Sims, and Bobby were out.

Brace yourself: Brandon Boston (left ankle stress reaction), Jordan Hawkins (lumber spine annular fissure) (!), Herbert Jones (right shoulder torn rotator cuff), CJ McCollum (right foot bone confusion), Trey Murphy III (right shoulder torn labrum), Dejounte Murray (right achilles rupture), Kelly Olynyk (rest) (LOL), and Zion Williamson (low back bone contusion) are out for the Pelicans. The titular Jose Alvarado is questionable with right calf soreness.

Player To Watch​

Can Kevin Porter Jr. follow up his performance from last night? A consistent playmaking guard would lessen the potential loss of another consistent playmaking guard in the playoffs.

How To Watch​

FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 7:30 p.m. CST.

Playback Streaming​

We are streaming the game live on our Playback and YouTube channels (feat. Van and guest Eric Balkman). Read on to find out how you can get NBA League Pass on us!

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/6/2...-preview-start-time-tv-schedule-injury-report

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 111, Pelicans 107

Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images

Gary leads the Bucks to a win in Crescent City.

The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the undermanned New Orleans Pelicans 111-107. Gary Trent Jr. led the Bucks with 29 points while Antonio Reeves (!) led the Pels with 23 points.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

The Bucks and Pelicans traded blows to start this one. Milwaukee would build out a seven-point lead but New Orleans reeled them back in. Brook Lopez led the Bucks with eight points while Kyle Kuzma led the Bucks with six shot attempts. The Pelicans used a balanced attack to lead 31-28 after one.

Sparked by Gary Trent Jr. (...and Kuzma), the Bucks started the second quarter strong, including an 8-0 run that shot them back in front. Doc uncorked the rare AJax-Nance combo for a HOT second to no success. Milwaukee was able to stay in front of Nola until they finally succumbed to a Bruce Brown barrage amidst generally leaky defense inside. But fear not! A nine-point run to finish the half with multiple buckets from... Kuz gave the Bucks a 58-53 lead at the break.

That lead would quickly evaporate and then some in the third, thanks to two threes from A. Reeves (Antonio) and several scores from Yves “The Road Not Taken” Missi. New Orleans built out their game-high lead of five, but the Bucks crawled back to tie the game during a three minute drought in the Bayou. With a strong frame from Kevin Porter Jr. hey opened up a bit of a lead after that, but would only finish the quarter up 81-78.

It was a tight game through the start of the fourth. Ryan Rollins had some nice moments to keep Milwaukee’s nose in front. He then passed the baton to Lopez for several buckets (and contests) as the Bucks finally generated a double-digit lead with a 13-point run. That would temper a smidge before they would one-up themselves to lead by 11 with a minute and a half to go. The game was over at that point... only for an 8-0 run in the span of a minute to give us one more jolt before the buzzer.

Stat That Stood Out​

The Bucks brought their track shoes, even on a SEGABABA: they racked up 24 points in transition and were constantly looking to push the pace.

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/6/2...ecap-gary-trent-jr-brook-lopez-antonio-reeves

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Pelicans: Four straight doesn’t come (big) easy

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Big nights from the Juniors cap off a 3-0 road trip, even without Giannis

Without Giannis Antetokounmpo on the second night of a back-to-back, five Bucks scored at least 14 points to edge past a very depleted Pelicans squad in the Crescent City, a back-and-forth battle with 18 lead changes and 17 ties. Gary Trent Jr. poured in a game-high 29 while Brook Lopez and Kevin Porter Jr. each had 20 for Milwaukee. Antonio Reeves led New Orleans with 23. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.

What Did We Learn?​

The last time Giannis missed was a week and a half ago in Denver, and for that one, Doc Rivers swapped Porter for Ryan Rollins in the starting lineup. He did the same thing last night as Rollins entered for Trent just over seven minutes in. Makes sense: Rollins has played very well alongside Giannis this year. But interestingly, Porter then remained on the floor with Rollins on Sunday; since Damian Lillard’s DVT diagnosis, those two have usually tag-teamed the point guard minutes. In fact, they’ve only shared the court for just eight minutes over 12 games since Dame’s last appearance, and they were a putrid -15 during that action.

Last night they almost doubled that minute total and the results were actually quite good. In the first half, in about three and a half minutes together they were -1, but in the second, they were +8 in just over ten minutes. They made up the closing backcourt as RR played the entire fourth quarter and KPJ joined for the final seven minutes. After the latter subbed in, Milwaukee immediately made a 6-0 run into 13-0, grabbing the first double-digit advantage for either team. The 20-8 extended run pretty much iced the game, girding the Bucks for the 8-0 Pelican run during the final minute.

While +7 in just over 14 minutes of gameplay together isn’t anything too special, especially against this New Orleans team, it’s a pairing that intrigues me. When they were out there with Lopez, Taurean Prince, and either Trent or AJ Green, the Bucks were +11. It’s not hard to see swapping Giannis in for either bigger guy resulting in a very solid defensive lineup with a lot of ball-handling and creation. I’d like to see how this two-point guard backcourt does against tougher competition; even with Dame out, it could be a group that holds serve or maybe even cuts into/builds a lead during key moments, especially against teams with high-octane guards like Indiana and Cleveland.

Three Bucks​

Gary Trent Jr. moved the scoreboard big time.​

Joining the starting lineup for just the second time since November 4th—the other time was also that Denver game Giannis missed—GTJ had his best scoring output of the year with 29 on 10/17 shooting. He missed just one shot in the first half and was a perfect 4/4 from the field in the second with 10 points, leading all scorers with 18 through the opening 24 minutes. His threes stopped falling as the game wore on, but he still finished 4/10 from distance. When Trent signed last summer, this was exactly the kind of game I had in mind when I thought of how useful he’d be. For regular-season games when one or more of their stars are missing, his track record in Toronto suggested he could be the high-volume scorer Milwaukee would need. That’s exactly what he was last night.

Brook Lopez’s offense was quietly effective, but his defense was loud.​

While Lopez connected on his first three looks, including his only two triples, he faded into the background a bit in the second and third quarters, shooting just 2/8. Not to worry, though, he stormed back into the game with eight fourth-quarter points, taking advantage of several mismatches. Prince, Rollins, and Porter found him multiple times down low for easy buckets after he entered with eight minutes remaining. That’s when the 13-0 Bucks run began. But his four blocks were all massive, thwarting Bruce Brown and Karlo Matkovic at the rim twice in the closing six minutes as Milwaukee took command of the game. Plus, on a night when Milwaukee was a bit small and they needed the help, his dozen rebounds were one short of a season high. In some fun role-reversal, I even saw Bucks boxing out for Lopez.

Ryan Rollins: NBA point guard?​

Look past his 5/15 mark from the field and you’ll note Rollins’ career-high 10 assists, four of which came in the closing frame. With his 14 points, that’s his first career double-double, plus seven boards to boot. As I discussed up top, he was a big part of winning time and finished +11, which looked even better before New Orleans briefly made it a one-possession game with five seconds remaining. His defense was typically strong, but this was easily the best point guard performance I’ve seen from him all year. As Doc has said, he’s still learning how to be an NBA point guard, and as we’ve seen, he’s still more of a combo guard. He hasn’t always made the right reads and sometimes turns the ball over a bit too often. But last night he kept finding guys at the right time and in the right place, like Pete Nance in the dunker spot or Lopez cutting through the lane. He also didn’t commit a single turnover in NOLA, came up with four steals off bad New Orleans backcourt turnovers, drew three shooting fouls, and even threw down a dunk on the break.

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Can’t overlook KPJ in this one either: after starting 2/8 from the field, he hit six of his next ten attempts and stepped into a couple tough threes that lifted the Bucks when the Pels looked to be gaining momentum. He also had four dunks on the evening, and three of them were on the break off those aforementioned New Orleans turnovers. He did all this despite being whacked above the neck multiple times: to the eye and to the temple by Pelican limbs (neither were called) and even on a screen set by Rollins.
• Giannis was downgraded to doubtful this afternoon with left shoulder tendinopathy and didn’t go through his typical warmup before being ruled out. So this might not have been simply a case of resting your star on a SEGABABA against a tanking team. Pre-game, Doc did say that playing 43 minutes the previous evening played a role in that decision, but also that he didn’t have any long-term concern over the shoulder injury.
• Pat Connaughton also went from probable to questionable with a right ankle sprain, ultimately sitting as well.
• Andre Jackson Jr. saw six minutes in the first half. While he had an assist and two boards, Milwaukee saw a six-point lead become a one-point deficit. He did not appear in the second half.
• During that AJax shift, there was a hot second (as Morgan put it) where the Bucks had him out there with Nance, Green, Rollins, and Porter. After they allowed a Keion Brooks (no, I don’t know who that is either) tip-in, Doc wisely called timeout to pull the plug after 34 seconds of that group. 34 seconds too many, if you ask me!
• In Miami on Saturday night, the Bucks needed overtime in part because of their 12-3 deficit on the offensive glass, resulting in 15 fewer shot attempts. They outrebounded New Orleans 51-48 in this one, with 10 offensive rebounds to their opponent’s nine. Still, second-chance points (16-7 in favor of the Pels) hurt them a little, particularly in the third as they lost the lead.
• Kyle Kuzma had a bit of a bounceback from an abysmal Saturday with 17 on 8/13 shooting, and his touch around the rim was actually very good! He was 2/3 in the restricted area and 6/8 overall in the paint. However, he was the only Buck outside of Nance and AJax with a negative plus-minus. That one miss at the rim came as he took it one-on-three in transition, and it allowed New Orleans to quickly get the ball up the floor for a Reeves corner three before Milwaukee’s defense was set. That made it 91-88 Pelicans, and Kuzma was yanked for nearly six minutes of game time. While he was out, the Bucks outscored the Pels 18-8, and when he reentered, they were outscored 8-3 over the final 2:14.
• Pete Nance saw his most significant run since signing with Milwaukee in late February. He didn’t look great in those 14 minutes, clanking an open corner three perhaps in part due to his janky shooting stroke. But he grabbed a couple offensive rebounds and even had two assists. With Bobby Portis back from suspension soon, this was probably his last shot at real rotation minutes this year.
• Even with Giannis out, Milwaukee shot just 63.6% (14/22) at the line, but New Orleans was just 0.7% better at 9/14.
• The Bucks are 25th leaguewide (Boston is last) in terms of transition frequency on offense, getting out on the break just 14.1% of the time per Cleaning The Glass. They aren’t super efficient either (123.9 ORtg in transition, 17th), especially off steals (137.5, 20th). But they made the most of 12 Pelicans turnovers last night, with fastbreak opportunities on nine of the Bucks’ 10 steals and a 24-13 scoring edge.
• I was frankly gobsmacked to see Porter throw Rollins a lob on one of their many fastbreaks, and while the pass was there, Rollins couldn’t quite throw it down. Maybe just an inch or two high.
• Here’s an odd one: the Bucks committed three defensive three-second technicals in this game. Only one was from Lopez, who is almost always the one who picks those up. The other went to Kuzma and Nance. Marques Johnson said he’d never seen a team have three in a game and I can’t say I have either.

Up Next​

A familiar face is on track to rejoin the team as the Bucks return home and try to make it five straight wins as they face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night: Bobby Portis. You can catch the action at 7 p.m. Central on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin or stream it on our Playback and YouTube channels.

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/7/2...ays-gary-trent-jr-kevin-porter-jr-brook-lopez

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

How what-ifs are defining the Bucks since 2021

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Evaluating the injuries, poor asset management, and everything else that has contributed to Milwaukee’s disappointing post-championship saga

The post-championship years for the Bucks have not gone how anyone would have hoped. A well-fought second-round loss in 2022 has been followed by two first-round exits, one of which was at the hands of the eighth-seated Miami Heat. With Damian Lillard’s availability completely up in the air, a fourth early exit unfortunately seems to be in the cards this season. The most frustrating part about the years of wasted potential is that there are some clear what-ifs to point to as causes— events and trends that could have completely altered the trajectory and perception of the team had they gone differently. Let’s talk about a few of the biggest what-ifs of this Bucks era, some of which are directly influenced by the organization’s decisions, and figure out what we can take away from them.

Injuries​

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The basketball gods have unleashed their wrath on the Bucks since 2021. The team hasn’t had all of their stars healthy for an entire series since their fabled title run. In 2022, Khris Middleton went down in the first round against Chicago and missed the entire semis against Boston. In 2023, Giannis was only a full participant in games four and five of a five-game series after getting hurt in game one. Last year against the Pacers, Giannis wasn’t available at all, and Damian Lillard appeared in just four out of six games in the first-round loss to Indiana. Even in 2021, Milwaukee had to close out the Eastern Conference Finals without Giannis. Now, this season, while his recovery from a recently discovered blood clot reportedly is progressing well, it’s no guarantee that Lillard will be suiting up for what will be a tough opening series regardless of opponent.

Making it through an entire successful regular season just to have postseason hopes derailed by an injury to a star is incredibly frustrating. A team’s flaws and areas for improvement heading into an offseason can’t truly be determined when they weren’t at full strength in the playoffs. Injuries are bound to hit every team at some point, so the Bucks are far from the only victim. In 2019, injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson led to a dominant Warriors squad losing in the Finals to Toronto. The Clippers have lost their superstar Kawhi Leonard in multiple series. Injuries are no excuse, but they certainly can play a major factor, especially for the Bucks. Having to play postseason ball without a star player for three, maybe four, years in a row is cruel. At this point, it may not even be just bad luck. You have to wonder if Giannis playing an incredibly physically taxing style of ball for well over 60 games every year leads to his body breaking down a little by April.

If Milwaukee hadn’t faced so many injuries, it’s easy to imagine the last couple years playing out more favorably. A healthy Khris Middleton could have been the difference in the seven-game loss versus the Celtics in 2022, and from then on, the team very well could have made it all the way to the Finals like Boston did (and potentially even defeated Golden State). Giannis being in the lineup almost certainly would have prevented the Bucks from being first-round exits in ‘23 and ‘24, even if they would have lost in subsequent series. Overall, the team’s postseason performance from the past three years can’t be fully evaluated without an asterisk because of all the injuries.

Coaching hires and firings​

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

When Mike Budenholzer was fired in 2023, it was the right move. No need for revisionist history here. Flaws in his system were starting to become exposed more and more often. One of the biggest reasons why the Bucks were upset by the Heat in that year’s playoffs was that Bud refused to adjust defensive coverages (editor’s note 1: Khris Middleton went on record saying Jrue Holiday specifically asked to be the primary assignment on Jimmy Butler before the series, but Bud did permit this to continue) in order to better mitigate Miami’s hot shooting. The 2022 playoffs played out similarly, as Grant Williams and Al Horford made Milwaukee pay for leaving them open night after night. Budenholzer was, and is, a good NBA coach, but the Bucks needed to shake up their strategies.

The coaching what-ifs start with Bud’s successor, Adrian Griffin. Bringing in a first-time head coach to lead a contender was a questionable move. The other two finalists in that search, Kenny Atkinson and Nick Nurse, were both much more experienced and established. The latter is even a championship coach. However, in a decision likely influenced heavily by Giannis, Griffin was selected. His 43-game stretch as head coach was pretty successful on paper. The Bucks went 30-13 with him at the helm and were a formidable offensive squad. However, it was apparent that there were some underlying problems. The team was significantly worse on defense than they ever were during the Budenholzer era. Even worse, Griffin seemed to be losing the locker room. When he was fired in the middle of the 2023–24 season, it wasn’t as surprising as it was made out to be.

The search for Griffin’s replacement included Kenny Atkinson once again, as well as Nate McMillan, Jeff Van Gundy, and the eventual selection, Doc Rivers (editor’s note 2: this decision was reported by several insiders to have come from ownership, as GM Jon Horst’s choice was Atkinson). Rivers is one of the most decorated and esteemed coaches in NBA history, as he’s firmly in the top ten all-time in total wins. For a midseason hire, bringing Doc in seemed like a great decision. However, the team tanked after his arrival, finishing the regular season 17-19 in games where he coached. It’s tough for a coach to take over in the middle of the season. Fans looked forward to seeing what the Doc-led Bucks could do after a full offseason to gel. The result has not been what was hoped for.

With Rivers at the helm, the Bucks haven’t found an identity. They’re statistically solid on both ends, but not top ten on either side this season. At least when Griffin was at the helm, it was clear that the Bucks wanted to win by maximizing their offensive output, and they were successful in doing so. With all the offensive talent on today’s roster, it makes you wonder if sticking with Griffin and giving him at least a full season to work things out would have been the better move. He did a better job of getting the most out of his players than Doc has (on offense, at least).

But the most intriguing what-if here involves a man who was involved in both coaching searches but not hired. Kenny Atkinson, who became the head coach of the Cavaliers prior to the 2024-25 season, is currently the clear Coach of the Year favorite. He’s done a phenomenal job getting his players to buy in and has extracted a ton of value from every single one of them. He’s creative in his direction on both ends and has turned the Cavs into a two-way juggernaut. There’s no denying that Atkinson is a much better coach than Griffin or (current) Rivers, and a timeline where he was given the Bucks job sounds a lot more encouraging than the one we’re in now.

The Lillard trade​

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

More controversial than the coaching-related hypothetical debates are the ones surrounding Milwaukee’s biggest move of the Giannis era. Very few people anticipated the Bucks landing Damian Lillard in the 2023 offseason, but they pulled it off. It was a deal that shocked the NBA world and immediately put the team at the top of title favorite lists. Nobody knew how a duo of Giannis and Dame could be guarded. Everyone was excited about their potential for greatness.

Almost two years later, opinions have soured. The Giannis-Dame duo and the team as a whole haven’t lived up to the hype. It’s somewhat understandable why some fans feel the Bucks should have never traded for Dame. They had a great thing going with the core of Giannis, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday. Holiday was the heart of the team and championed their defensive identity. Giving him up sucked, frankly.

However, there is simply no world where the Bucks shouldn’t and wouldn’t have made that trade. It sent Giannis the message that the organization will do whatever it takes to give him a chance to compete, and the superstar’s happiness should be near the very top of the priority list for decision makers. Plus, that type of politics aside, not taking the opportunity to add an all-time great guard coming off a season where he averaged 32.2 PPG to a contending team would be baffling, especially when the price tag was only a low-tier All-Star and three first round picks (remember, Rudy Gobert and Mikal Bridges both went for five).

Bottom line, Bucks-related finger-pointing should not start with the Lillard trade. The front office would do it ten out of ten times and would be silly not to.

Misuse and mismanagement of draft assets​

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Finally, let’s talk about the biggest criticism of Jon Horst, who has otherwise done a very respectable job as a GM. Horst is often attacked for his drafting ability. Here is the list of Bucks draftees since 2017, when Horst was hired:

• D.J. Wilson, 17th overall, 2017
• Sterling Brown, 46th overall, 2017
• Donte DiVincenzo, 17th overall, 2018
• Jordan Nwora, 45th overall, 2020
• Sam Merrill, 60th overall, 2020
• Sandro Mamukelashvili, 54th overall, 2021
• Georgios Kalaitzakis, 60th overall, 2021
• MarJon Beauchamp, 24th overall, 2022
• Andre Jackson Jr., 36th overall, 2023
• Chris Livingston, 58th overall, 2023
• AJ Johnson, 23rd overall, 2024
• Tyler Smith, 33rd overall, 2024

Upon first glance, there is only one player who can undeniably be considered good, and that’s Donte DiVincenzo. The Villanova product was turning into a super valuable piece for the Bucks (editor’s note 3: Horst tried to trade him when his value was highest in 2020, but the deal was reportedly nixed by Bogdan Bogdanovic’s agent) before an injury completely threw him off and ultimately led to him being traded. Now, he’s one of the best bench players in basketball. Beyond him, though, none of those guys have made a meaningful impact in the league. Sam Merrill and Sandro Mamukelashvili were nice picks considering where they were taken, as both have carved out multi-year careers for themselves. Andre Jackson Jr. will clearly play some sort of role for the Bucks moving forward, but he’s still a bit of a mystery as of now. Tyler Smith has yet to get a chance to show what he can do.

While it’s easy to look at that draft resume and pick it apart, it needs to be considered that Horst has only been able to draft in the first round four times, only twice in the top 20, and not once in the lottery. He’s also had the last pick in the draft three times. It’s really hard to consistently find real contributors in the draft, especially when you’re working with less desirable picks. Yes, Horst could have done a better job with the few “high” picks he has gotten, but still, the larger factor in Milwaukee’s draft results remains their lack of premium capital.

Not having a ton of favorable draft picks is a reality of being a contender. However, the Bucks have done a not-so-awesome job of managing their picks and draftees as trade assets (outside of the Holiday and Lillard trades). Giving up five second-rounders for Jae Crowder was an obviously poor decision even before Crowder proved to be washed. Trading DiVincenzo for an older Serge Ibaka instead of letting him regain his confidence post-injury is highly regrettable in hindsight. Giving away a promising young prospect in AJ Johnson in exchange for Kyle Kuzma might turn out to be a back-breaking decision.

Jon Horst has drafted well relative to his average position, especially in the second round. He’s done a fine job with what he’s had. What he does deserve some criticism for is setting himself up for failure in the draft by needlessly shipping out picks and trading away prospects before finding out what they are as players. Taking swings on young, raw players in the draft is pointless if you don’t make their growth a priority.

Two side notes: one, the Bucks have been one of the worst player development teams in the league in the last five years. They rarely gave young guys a chance to play consistently (if at all) and grow during that stretch, but that’s a conversation for another time. It is worth noting, though, that 2024–25 has been a step in the right direction, as players like AJ Green, Ryan Rollins, and Andre Jackson Jr. have been important rotation pieces at different points throughout the season, proving why letting the young guys rock can be very beneficial. Two, signing Green as an undrafted FA in 2022 is truly an excellent move that makes up for whiffing on MarJon Beauchamp in the same year.

The takeaways​

The main takeaway here is that a lot can go wrong for an NBA team at any given time. Some of it’s controllable, some of it’s not. The Bucks are far from the only team that could have an article like this written about them. The most important thing for fans to recognize is what warrants criticism and what doesn’t. For an organization, they have to learn from past mistakes to reverse negative trends. For the Bucks, uncontrollable injuries are probably the biggest reason for the letdowns in recent years. However, muffed coaching searches and mismanaged draft assets are self-inflicted mistakes that need to be prevented as best as possible going forward.

The 2024–25 chapter for the Bucks isn’t over, and the same goes for the Giannis and Dame era. Championship hypotheticals could still be fulfilled in the near future. Don’t give up hope yet.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/7/2...-ifs-damian-lillard-doc-rivers-kenny-atkinson

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Vote in the Brew Hoop Tuesday Tracker: Will Giannis finally have a healthy postseason run?

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Tracking the larger sentiments of Bucks fans week by week.

Even casual Bucks fans are well aware of how snakebitten the team has been in terms of star player injuries since the 2021 title, particularly those to Giannis Antetokounmpo. No one then with the franchise is at fault for Kevin Love stepping in front of Giannis in an attempt to draw a charge less than one half into the 2023 NBA Playoffs, which was the death knell for that 57-win team. Perhaps last year’s soleus strain was a result of overuse, perhaps not.

Whatever way you look at the last two curtailed postseason runs when it comes to Giannis’ health, with four regular-season games left this year, he’s been on the injury report for essentially the entire season in 2024–25. We may not know how much the oft-listed tendinopathy actually affects him, wherever it is (now left shoulder after left knee for forever), but he’s appeared in 65 games, including the NBA Cup final. He’s ostensibly as well-prepared for the postseason as he was every year prior to 2024. But do you expect that to continue?

In this week’s Tuesday Tracker, we get a temperature check on Damian Lillard’s status after rumors that he may return and again see how your opinion on the Bucks’ playoff seeding is evolving. For reference, playoffstatus.com has Milwaukee at 79% odds to remain in fifth, 3% odds of trading places with Indiana for fourth, and 18% of swapping with Detroit for sixth. We also want you to weigh in more on Mike Budenholzer’s somewhat awkward reunion with the Bucks in recent weeks.

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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/2025/4/8/2...etokounmpo-damian-lillard-health-nba-playoffs

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 110, Timberwolves 103

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Milwaukee rattles off a massive comeback victory

In an absolutely improbable comeback, the Milwaukee Bucks came from behind and toppled the Minnesota Timberwolves, 110-103. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 23 points led the scoring for Milwaukee. He also earned a triple-double with 13 rebounds and ten assists. Kevin Porter Jr.’s 21 points off the bench was a massive spark, along with his momentous defense. Anthony Edwards’ 25 points served as the game-high.

NBA.com Box Score

It took a bit for the Bucks’ offense to get the wheels going to kick this one off. Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t do too much, scoring just a pair of points in the quarter. Running off some very hot shooting, the Timberwolves snapped open a double-digit advantage late in the period. However, sparked by the return of Bobby Portis and his four first quarter points, Milwaukee was able to slice the deficit to 28-23 going into the second.

That deficit would grow back to double digits at halftime, as the Wolves carried a 56-45 lead into the locker room. They were paced by 11 points from Jaden McDaniels and ten more from Anthony Edwards. However, Naz Reid’s 12 off the bench was a team-high for them. No Buck hit double figures at the break, with Kevin Porter Jr.’s nine points serving as the team high. Looking at their threes, it was easy to tell why that was the case. The team went just 4/21 from the perimeter in the half.

A flurry of threes from Minnesota, particularly Donte DiVincenzo, extended their lead even further in the late portions of the third. Through three quarters, the Big Ragu erupted for four threes, totaling 16 points off the bench. Mixed alongside 24 points from Anthony Edwards, the Wolves sat with a comfortable 90-70 advantage going into the fourth.

Then, the script flipped. Sparked by a Gary Trent Jr. four-point play, the Bucks embarked on a 23-0 run to cut Minnesota’s deficit to just a single point with just a tad under five minutes to play. Moments later, an AJ Green three knotted things up at 97 apiece. Following a clash involving KPJ, Rudy Gobert, and Trent Jr., KPJ gave the Bucks a lead with a pair of fastbreak dunks. All in all during that period, Milwaukee built up a 30-3 run. KPJ then facilitated a picture perfect alley-oop to Giannis, giving Milwaukee their biggest lead of the game to date at 105-98 with 1:47 remaining. From that point, the energy was too much for the Wolves to handle and the Bucks stamped out a 110-103 victory.

Stat That Stood Out​

Tonight marked Bobby Portis’ return to the court after a 25 game suspension. Boy, was his presence was felt and appreciated by the Bucks in a big way. All in all, he registered 29 minutes, including a bulk down the stretch in clutch time. He padded the stat sheet with a big man performance that the Bucks were in dire need of, earning a double-double with 18 points and ten rebounds. There’s no doubt that he brought a sense of energy to not just the game, but the arena. Numerous Bobby chants filled Fiserv Forum throughout the night, helping Milwaukee secure the improbable victory.

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/8/2...e-recap-giannis-antetokounmpo-anthony-edwards

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Podcast Roundup: Marques Johnson opens up about Hall of Fame snub

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Plus the 2nd Annual Golden Hoof awards

As is typical when we check in with our Bucks podcasting friends, we begin with the home team and a very special edition of Deer Diaries: the second annual Golden Hoof Awards, as voted on by the staff. Plenty of fun categories here. For the record, I picked the victory over the Minnesota before the All-Star break, when Milwaukee was down both Giannis and Damian Lillard, as the best win of the season. But had we done this exercise a week later, I’d have picked last night’s victory over those same Wolves.

On Hear District this week, Marques and Kris chat with former NBA All-Star point guard Baron Davis about Los Angeles hoops legacies. Davis and the younger Johnson were UCLA teammates, so this was a fun discussion. Also, Marques candidly discusses the Hall of Fame with some cameos from Bucks legends like Jon McGlocklin, Paul Pressey, and Bob Dandridge. As readers know, I’ve been vocal about how Johnson remains a glaring omission from the Hall and I was disappointed that he was passed over again next year, but I have optimism he’ll be selected next year. For his part, MJ is taking it with his usual class and gratitude:

Finally, friend of the site Gale Klappa has his monthly conversation with Doc Rivers. You’ll hear updates about Dame and Jericho Sims’ conditions and when we might possibly see them on the floor.

You can also check out these podcasts on the Bucks’ webpage at nba.com/bucks/plus.

As a bonus, I did two postgame pods this week with our pals Camille Davis and Justin Garcia at Locked On Bucks after the Pelicans and Wolves victories. Last night’s was particularly fun!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/bucks-podc...asts-marques-johnson-hall-of-fame-baron-davis

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks vs. New Orleans Pelicans Preview: Chasing the 5th seed

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Bucks magic number for the No. 5 seed is two in their second-to-last home game

After one of the most historic fourth-quarter comebacks in franchise history, the Milwaukee Bucks will look to make it six wins in a row, this time hosting the New Orleans Pelicans at the Fiserv Forum. This is the second time this week these two non-conference opponents will play each other, with the Bucks taking the game in New Orleans on Sunday, 111-107. Gary Trent Jr led a Giannis-less Bucks with 29 points on 10/17 shooting from the field.

Where We’re At​

What a difference five games make. After losing four in a row, with a 145-124 blowout to the Atlanta Hawks, the Bucks have seemingly turned it around with a five-game winning streak. Giannis Antetokounmpo won Eastern Conference Player of the Week and now has three straight triple-doubles. For those who believe in coincidences, Giannis was the only other player in Bucks franchise history to do so. What year you ask: the Bucks title season, 2021. They now enter the final three games of the season with the magic number of two to clinch the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. There is an outside chance of them climbing to a top-4 seed, but that would require the Bucks going 3-0 in their final three games (starting tonight) and the Indiana Pacers going 0-3 (starting tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers).

It’s been a season from hell for the Pelicans. After making it as the 8th seed after the Play-In tournament and losing in a sweep to the Oklahoma City Thunder, things seemed to be on the upswing for New Orleans. Things have gone anything but, with them firmly in the race for Cooper Flagg at the top of the NBA Draft Lottery. The newly acquired Dejounte Murray tore his Achilles, Trey Murphy tore his labrum, Herb Jones tore his rotator cuff, and Jordan Hawkins had an annular fissure in his spine. In their last 10 games, they’ve gone 3-7, with wins over the Charlotte Hornets, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jose Alverado has taken over as the team’s new number-one scoring option since Zion Willaimson and CJ McCollum were shut down for the year. In the six games he’s played since that time, he’s averaging 15.2 points per game on 36.4% from the field and 28.9% from the three-point line.

Injury Report​

It’s the four same players on the Milwaukee Bucks injury report, now that Bobby Portis is off his 25-game suspension. Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as probable with left shoulder tendinopathy, while Pat Connaughton is questionable with a right ankle sprain. Damian Lillard (right calf DVT) and Jericho Sims (right thumb UCL sprain) are both still out for Milwaukee.

The list of players out for the Pelicans is quite a bit longer than who could play, so we’ll start with the latter. Jose Alverado (right calf soreness), Bruce Brown (right knee soreness), and Yves Missi (left ankle sprain) are all questionable for New Orleans. Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, C.J. McCollum, Herb Jones, Jordan Hawkins, Brandon Boston, Trey Murphy, and Kelly Olynyk are all out for tonight’s festivities.

Player To Watch​

Kevin Porter Jr had one of the best quarters in recent memory on Tuesday against the T’Wolves. In the fourth quarter alone, he had 12 points on 4/6 shooting, three rebounds, two assists, and an incredible four steals. Over his last five games, he’s averaging 16.4 points on nearly 50/40/90 shooting, (.545/.455/.895). The question with KPJ is consistency, and whether he keeps up these types of performances. History says that it will depend on if he can get going early, so be on the lookout for that.

How To Watch​

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

Playback Streaming​

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/10/...-preview-start-time-tv-schedule-injury-report

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Pelicans: Game Thread

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (Central)

The Milwaukee Bucks will play their second-to-last home game of the 2024-25 regular season, hosting the New Orleans Pelicans from the Fiserv Forum. The Bucks will look for their sixth win in a row and are on the chase for the No. 5 seed in the East, with a magic number of two. Conversely, the Pelicans are deep into the lottery and sit with the fourth-best odds at the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was initially downgraded to questionable with left shoulder tendinopathy, but he and Pat Connauhgton will be available. Tyler Smith is out for the Bucks with a right ankle sprain. The Pelicans will be missing a total of 11 players, with Jose Alverado, Yves Missi, and Bruce Brown having all been ruled out for tonight.

Check out the full preview here, then follow along below on Playback and on Twitter. As always, go Bucks!

How To Watch​

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

Playback Streaming​

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/10/...ead-starting-lineup-tv-schedule-injury-report

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Pelicans: Taking care of business

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

After a rocky first quarter, Bucks blowout shorthanded Pelicans to set up a 5th seed clincher against Detroit

The Milwaukee Bucks won for the sixth time in a row, taking down an eight-man roster fielded by the New Orleans Pelicans, 136-111. Despite their best efforts, the Bucks have been locked out of home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs, after the Indiana Pacers narrowly beat the Cleveland Cavaliers (without their top four players), 114-112, clinching them the fourth seed. For Milwaukee, Giannis scored a game-high 28 to go with 11 boards, but only five assists, so no fourth-straight triple-double, unfortunately. Kevin Porter Jr. had 20 off the bench, and Lester Quinones led New Orleans with 21. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.

What Did We Learn?​

There wasn't much to learn in terms of the direct on-court action of last night's game. The Bucks were playing a team that was missing 11 players and only had a rotation of eight all game. The bigger piece of news and what we did learn is that the Bucks will not have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, whether they end as the fifth seed or the sixth seed. They will have a chance to clinch the fifth seed in the East tonight when they travel to Detroit to take on the Pistons. Here’s what Doc Rivers had to say about the bout ahead:

“It’s the first part of the play-in. That’s basically what it is. It’s going to be a great experience. I’m looking forward to it. I think the crowd in Detroit is going to be amazing. They’re going to play hard. They’re going to play well. And we’re going to have to match it.”

What might prepare the Bucks the most for this moment has been the fact that these last six games have been like playoff games for them, at least according to Giannis. With that challenge, the Bucks have seemingly responded, and Giannis is liking what he’s seeing

“I kinda like where we are right now, we’ve been competing we’re able to score the ball, we always keep our composure, (no matter) the time, and score. I love where we are right now, we just have to stay humble and go each game ahead of us.”

I talked about in the preview yesterday how much things have seemingly shifted in the last six games since the Bucks' ugly loss to the Atlanta Hawks not too long ago. With him seemingly challenging the team to play with a playoff mindset and how much things have changed around the team, I asked Giannis what he thought the biggest shift was, comparing the four-game losing streak with the six-game winning streak:

“I don’t know, we’re playing good basketball, moving the ball, trusting one another, the ball is going in. We feed off our defense we get the energy and then offensively when we play defense it makes it easier for us. When the ball is moving and we have great shooters, we’re one of best shooting teams in the NBA and when you’re able to create a wide-open look for your teammate most likely it’s gonna go in. We’re feeding off from our defense, trying to get three stops in a row multiple times. I think we did that against Minnesota—seven to 12 times we got three stops in a row in the fourth quarter, which is incredible in a quarter. When you feed off of that and you play the right way offensively, good things are gonna happen, and you’re able to score 120, 110, 130. I think today we scored 135—everybody eats, everyone feels good and everyone competes.”

Three Bench Player Observations​

While it is a minuscule two-game sample size, the Bucks’ bench has been doing some incredible things. Every time they come into the game, they can positively change the game. They played the entire fourth quarter with Giannis against the Timberwolves to spark that miraculous comeback, and then last night, after a rocky first quarter, they helped the Bucks outscore the Pelicans 79-59 in the middle two quarters to seal this game up. In this section, we’ll take a look at the Bucks' best three bench players from last night and how they changed the game.

Kevin Porter Jr.’s playmaking has steadily been improving.​

With each passing game, KPJ seems to be coming into his own with what the Bucks need from him, especially with Damian Lillard out indefinitely. Doc commented on just that before the game began:

“He’s playing the right way, the way that we need him to play. It’s probably different from how he’s ever played. We’ve talked about him being a dancer with the ball, he’s not doing that, he’s being decisive, scoring downhill. Defensively, he’s been fantastic for us, so these are all the things we hoped he could do and he’s doing them for us.”

Porter had another 20+ point outing with exactly 20 points, seven assists, and another five steals. Five of those seven assists came in the second quarter when the Bucks were trying to pull ahead of the Pelicans—much needed for a stifled Bucks offense.

If the Bucks don't send a bag to Gary Trent Jr. for his shooting, there are gonna be problems.​

The fact that the Bucks were able to get Trent on a vet minimum is something that needs to be studied. Another game, another efficient offensive game for Trent as he shot 4/7 from the three-point line and finished with 17 points. He also had the highest +/- out of every player last night with a +23 in 24:29 of playtime. Whether the Bucks can truly afford Trent and Porter this off-season, they are a truly dynamic backcourt off the bench.

The steady force of Bobby Portis down low has been missed.​

Doc talked pre-game about how much having Bobby has allowed the Bucks to better manage Brook Lopez’s workload, and last night was evidence again. Lopez only had to play 23 minutes, with Portis playing a near-even split at 22 minutes exactly, and was a positive offensive force for the Bucks. He finished his night with 14 points and eight rebounds on 5/10 field goal shooting and 2/4 from beyond the arc.

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to climb the ranks of the NBA’s all-time leading scorers. With 28 more tonight, he passes Mitch Richmond (20,497) for 48th all-time with a total of 20,506 points in his illustrious career.
• Giannis has also tied Wilt Chamberlain for the most consecutive games with 20+ points on 60 %+ shooting from the field with 10.
• Milwaukee’s 136 points tonight mark its second-best scoring performance of the season and seventh 130-point game this season. The Bucks are undefeated this season when reaching the 130-point mark, and they’re now averaging 122.8 ppg in April after scoring 130+ points in two of their six games.
• With 20 points tonight, Kevin Porter Jr. extended his streak of scoring 20+ points to a season-long four games. It’s the third-longest such streak of his career, and he’s now averaging 21.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game over his last four games while shooting 51.9% from the field in that span.

Up Next​

The Milwaukee Bucks enter the final two games of the regular season in a battle for the fifth seed, with a home-and-home series against the sixth-seeded Detroit Pistons. The Bucks will travel to Detroit for their second game of a back-to-back, with tip-off scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CDT. You can catch the action at 6 p.m. Central on NBA TV, FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin, or stream it on our Playback and YouTube channels.

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/11/...orter-jr-gary-trent-bobby-portis-nba-playoffs

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Rapid Recap: Bucks 125, Pistons 119

Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

Milwaukee secures the five-seed in gutsy win

The Milwaukee Bucks grind out one of their most impressive wins of the season against the Detroit Pistons, winning 125-119 and securing the five seed! Giannis was utterly incredible with another insane triple-double with 32 points, 15 assists, and 11 rebounds. Predictably, it was Cade Cunningham who led the Pistons, notching 36 points and 12 helpers.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap​

Cade Cunningham was hot early for the Pistons, with six points in the opening minutes. However, the Bucks hung in there with Giannis leading the way and every other starter scoring. Bucks up 17-13 at the first timeout following a Rollins transition three. Giannis then took a very short break, and the Bucks came up empty on a few too many possessions, allowing Detroit to go up 11 with just over two minutes left in the first. Thankfully, Giannis came back and sparked an 11-3 run, with KPJ hitting a massive three (which he got fouled on but there was no call) to end the quarter. Bucks down 36-35 after one.

Trent continued Milwaukee’s hot shooting into the second, nailing a three to begin. KPJ and Giannis then ran a beautiful pick-and-roll for the GA smash, followed by BP moving into the dunker spot to receive another nice pass for the bucket; Bucks up 42-36 a few minutes into the second. The visitors continued to score but also lost focus on defence for a few possessions; Trent got caught doubling Tobias Harris for no reason (leading to a Malik Beasley triple), and Schroder got downhill for the layup. However, although the Pistons threatened momentarily, the Bucks did a great job generating good shots and keeping them at bay, up 59-51 with 4:43 left following a behind-the-back pass from Rollins to Portis in transition. The Bucks ended the half going a little bit dry on offence, up just three at 68-65.

Giannis began the quarter by hilariously getting the Pistons to bite on two pump fakes, drawing shooting fouls each time, as the Bucks went up nine following a Rollins steal and finish in transition. Both teams then went on what felt like a four-minute stretch where neither squad missed, Bucks up 91-83 with 5:10 remaining in the third and (shrieks) the non-Giannis minutes began. Predictably, the Pistons went on an 8-2 run, and Giannis was put back in. Milwaukee was up by a whisker, 98-97, after three.

Detroit took the lead momentarily early in the fourth behind another Beasley triple as he got behind the zone, but two massive threes from Trent (who had struggled all night) put the Bucks back up four. Then Cade dropped a triple of his own, and Giannis responded with two buckets in transition (along with a KPJ hammer out of the timeout). Following Porter’s dunk, he got hit by a hard screen by Jalen Duren that he didn’t like and retaliated by bumping Duren in the back, starting a scuffle and earning himself a flagrant-one. From there, the Bucks really buckled down on defence as Doc closed with the same Giannis + bench lineup that closed against the Wolves. Seriously, the defence was truly impressive; with 6:21 on the clock, the Pistons scored another 13 points in the game. Milwaukee got up six with about 20 seconds on the clock, but couldn’t score. Detroit called timeout, drawing up a play for a made Malik Beasley three, reducing the lead to three with 15.3 on the clock. KPJ was fouled, making both, and JB Bickerstaff called his final timeout. Cade missed, and the game was over.

Stat That Stood Out​

I have to go with the Bucks limiting the Pistons to just 22 points in the fourth. Truly one of the better defensive performances I’ve seen this season.

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/11/...ngham-kevin-porter-bobby-portis-malik-beasley

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Pistons: Shimmying to the five-seed

Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images

Milwaukee got the win they needed, locking in a date with the Pacers

The Milwaukee Bucks took down the Detroit Pistons in a 125-119 win, securing fifth place in the process and locking in a series with the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers. Giannis was just amazing in this one, dropping a 32-15-11 triple-double. Kevin Porter Jr. was probably their next best with 16 points and seven assists, but the other seven guys who played each dropped at least seven points. For the Pistons, it was Cade Cunningham who led the way, dropping 36 points as well as 12 dimes. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.

What Did We Learn?​

The most notable learning from this game was probably that Doc seems to be leaning right into that Giannis + bench lineup (with KPJ, AJG, GTJ, and BP) as a real option to close games. He closed with it against the Wolves and did the same last night. That lineup has now played 42 minutes (small sample size, I know) but has a 144.6 (!) offensive rating and a 93.4 (!) defensive rating.

KPJ said postgame that as soon as he heard that Dame would be out for an extended period of time, he texted Giannis that they both had to put in extra time working on their chemistry. Well, they seem to be connecting more and more as time goes on. That, paired with three shooters spreading the floor, makes obvious sense. The other thing is that AJ and Gary are more dynamic shooters and playmakers than Prince. You can use them in inverted pick-and-rolls and the like, whereas Prince is more solely a spot-up guy.

Three Observations​

Giannis willed Milwaukee to victory.​

Antetokounmpo was absolutely ridiculous in this one. When I saw that he played just under 38 minutes I was surprised because it felt like whenever he went out, things went downhill fast, and that he would have played a tad more. And that feeling was correct to an extent, Giannis was a +22 in his minutes, with AJ Green the next closest at +11. Anyway, I thought GA was just so damn composed all night long. He really trusted his teammates, which is when I believe he’s most dangerous. We shouldn’t just ignore the fact that, with Dame not playing, this is hard for Giannis. It’s not easy to have the entire team looking at you to lead them; you don’t get the opportunity to sit back, you must make things happen. Playing close to 40 minutes is not easy either, but we salute you for it, big fella.

Kevin Porter Jr. will be crucial in the playoffs.​

Maybe it speaks more to the lack of primary creators on the team than his individual brilliance, but I will predict that the Bucks winning playoff games will coincide with Porter playing well, and vice versa. His ability to diagnose the way the defence is playing him and react off that to get downhill—which is something Doc has apparently been on him hard about—is really interesting to watch. Gary Trent Jr. specialises in other areas, so it’s not a putdown, but I will use him as an example of a guy who can get pushed off his line when handling the ball, which can cause him to be unable to create open shots consistently off the pick-and-roll. But with KPJ, he has this power and agility to him that is truly unique on this team. He also doesn’t get rattled in traffic, like you see here:

The fourth-quarter defence was phenomenal.​

I put it as my “stat that stood out” in the rapid recap, but for a team that has had its share of defensive issues in the past month, holding the Pistons to 22 points on 8/23 shooting in the final frame was massive. The physicality they showed to Cade and the help defence were both so good. Just a great game to show the team in film. That was a playoff-like quarter on defence.

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• We have a story on Malik Beasley’s hypocrisy getting upset at Giannis doing his shimmy back at him. But come on, Malik, you do that every damn game!
• It seemed like the Pacers more or less tried to lose last night to lock in a date with the Bucks. Bold strategy, Cotton.
• I’ve really liked Ryan Rollins’ play these past two games. He doesn’t have the athleticism to challenge guys at the rim like KPJ does, but Rollins does have a nice cadence and centre of gravity that allows him to get places:

Up Next​

The Bucks next play the Detroit Pistons (again) at home on Sunday arvo at 12:00 p.m. Central. The game is now meaningless, so expect 40 minutes from your favourite deep bench players. Catch the game on ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin, or stream it on our Playback and YouTube channels.

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/12/...-cunningham-kevin-porter-portis-malik-beasley

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

AJ Green: The Shoulder Tape Sniper

Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

How KT tape is helping Dairy Bird play at a high level, and why it matters

In mid-March, AJ Green was slumping. He was letting shots fly with his usual confidence, but something was off. In six games between March 18th and March 28th, Green was just 10/28 from three (35.7%). That’s not bad shooting for many players, but well below the kid’s usual loftier standards. Zooming out a bit more, between March 8th and March 24th, before a 5/9 slumpbuster on the 25th in Denver, he was 10/36 (27.8%). Yikes.

Following a contest on the 28th against the Knicks, Green missed two games with a shoulder sprain. Since his return, he’s been sizzling hot. Through six games in April, Dairy Bird is 15/26 from three (57.7%), and he made two or more triples in five out of the six. So what changed? How did Green find his rhythm again?

When Green returned from injury on April 3rd, he was sporting shoulder tape, and he’s worn some in every game since.

How shoulder tape works​

Shoulder tape, formally known as kinesiology or “KT” tape, is flexible tape usually made of cotton or nylon that is designed to stabilize your joints. It’s breathable and unrestrictive, meaning it moves with your shoulder rather than hampering movement. It also reduces pain while improving muscle function. Overall, it’s perfect for athletes looking to play through minor injuries, and it’s super common to see it being used on the court. You may remember James Harden often wearing shoulder tape during his Houston days.

For AJ Green, who experienced a minor shoulder sprain, the shoulder tape is allowing him to continue playing in important games for his team. Every shooter naturally goes through slumps, and his shoulder sprain was officially suffered on March 28th, so pain in that area probably wasn’t the root cause of his March struggles. The tape is clearly having a positive effect now, though, as he’s shooting as sharply as ever since returning to the lineup.

Why AJ Green playing well is important​

In the playoffs, teams need role players who can contribute on both ends in multiple ways. Among Milwaukee’s wing room of Green, Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, Andre Jackson Jr., and Pat Connaughton, Green is the most complete two-way player besides Trent. He’s a versatile sniper not limited to spot-up shooting, and he’s improved over time at putting the ball on the deck and hitting middies. He also guards well on the ball defensively and can navigate screens.

Green plays a valuable role, and the Bucks are better when he’s playing well. On the season, the team is 19-8 when he splashes three or more treys and 30-15 when he nets two or more. Unfortunately, if Green’s shot isn’t falling, he can look like a non-factor. We saw that last year in the playoffs when he shot just 18.2% from outside against the Pacers.

Green is sixth on the Bucks in win shares this season. He’s a big part of what the team does. If they’re gonna go far in the playoffs, Dairy Bird will need to stay in stride and knock down shots. The shoulder tape has helped him do that, so he should probably stick (pun partially intended) to wearing it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/12/24407006/aj-green-shoulder-injury-milwaukee-bucks-nba-playoffs

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Pistons: Game Thread

Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Tip-off is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. (Central)

The Milwaukee Bucks face off against the Detroit Pistons this fine Sunday. This is your LAST CHANCE to see some of these Bucks on the team, as well as a chance to watch an entire game of basketball and still have a full day ahead of you afterwards. Of all the guys on the injury list for the Bucks, only AJ Green and Kyle Kuzma are available. Cade Cunningham is questionable. Check out the full preview here, then follow along below on Playback and on Twitter. As always, go Bucks!

How To Watch​

ESPN and FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 12:00 p.m. CDT.

Playback Streaming​

We are streaming the game live on our Playback (with Van and Kris Johnson) and YouTube channels. Read on to find out how you can get NBA League Pass on us!

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/13/...ead-starting-lineup-tv-schedule-injury-report

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks vs. Pistons: The Pat Connaughton game

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Milwaukee makes it eight in a row behind Connaughton’s career-high 43 points

In the regular season finale, the Milwaukee Bucks rode a Pat Connaughton career-high of 43 points to a 140-133 overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons. Kyle Kuzma followed up PC’s performance with 22 points, all in the first quarter. Malik Beasley was the leading scorer for Detroit with 23 points.

Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.

What Did We Learn?​

There wasn’t much that we could take away from this one given how many starters sat out, but one big takeaway was the performance of Kyle Kuzma. He only saw action in the first quarter, but boy, was he able to make a huge impact. In that opening frame, he shot 8/10 from the floor, including 5/7 from the perimeter. Him achieving this stat line in the opening frame made him the seventh player in NBA history to score 20+ points in 12 minutes or fewer. With how cold his shot has been, this was a performance that felt like it was needed from him. Postgame, Doc said the exact same thing. The Bucks will surely be relying on him in the first round against Indiana.

Three Observations​

Pat Connaughton...my goodness.​

It’s been more of a down season for PC this year, but wow, did he produce in this regular season finale. In 44 minutes of action, he poured in a career-high 43 points. He’d take 29 shots and connect on 16 of them, including five 3-pointers. Whenever the Bucks were looking for a bucket, Pat was able to get one. His big buckets is what maintained separation down the stretch. It was unfortunate that they weren’t able to get the job done in regulation, but still, the job eventually got done. I would’ve guessed that Pat’s career high would’ve been at least 30, but it was actually 25. Additionally, PC snagged a season-high 11 rebounds, giving him the double-double. That was his first one of the season and his fourth of his career.

Pete Nance also had a day.​

Now, Pete Nance won’t be getting minutes in the postseason, but it was awesome to see him get his first career start. In that action, he poured in 19 points in just over 43 minutes. Coming into this one, you knew that there was going to be opportunities for guys like Nance to show out. It was fun to see him take advantage of the moment and make it worth it. Overall, he earend a career-high in points with 19.

The Bucks are hitting their stride at the right time.​

I mean, could you be on an eight-game winning streak at a better point of the year? This winning streak matches their season-best and is the second-longest winning streak to end a season in franchise history (14 games; Feb. 28-March 27, 1973). Their perfect 8-0 record in April marks the first time in franchise history that the team has been undefeated in April. It’s the third most wins without a loss in a single month in franchise history (10-0, February 2023; 13-0, March 1973). Last, how about this? Milwaukee’s 125.3 points per game this month are the most in the month of April in franchise history.

Bonus Bucks Bits​

• J.B. Bickerstaff issued a coach’s challenge in the third quarter. Doc then issued one later in the quarter. That made it seem like he didn’t want to get out as soon as possible for the final round of the Masters, haha.
• There were a bulk of career highs today. In addition to Connaughton, here are the rest. Tyler Smith earned career-highs in minutes (30), points (20), FGM (6), and 3FGM (4). Pete Nance earned career-highs in minutes (43), points (19), FGM (7), rebounds (6), 3FGM (5), assists (5), and blocks (2). Jamaree Bouyea earned career-highs in minutes (47), points (15), assists (7), FGM (5), FTM (4), and blocks (2).
• Doc’s postgame was hilarious. With the Masters on the line, he came into the room and said that he tried to get Darvin Ham to do postgame availability but he wouldn’t. He then complained when more and more reporters kept asking questions. It was great.
• Liam and Maverick were sitting with Giannis on the bench throughout the game. The three of them even were celebrating some made threes by the Bucks together. That was neat to see.
• Pat Connaughton is now the fourth player in Bucks history with a 40/10/5 game. The others? Giannis, Kareem, and Khris Middleton.
• In today’s crazy statistic, this marks the first time that the Bucks have won their season finale in 12 seasons. Wild.

Up Next​

The first round of the NBA Playoffs begins on April 19. Exact dates and times for when the Bucks play will be announced later. Stay tuned to Brew Hoop for news regarding broadcast information, dates, and game times. You’ll also be able to catch the action on our Playback and YouTube channels.

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Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/13/...eview-takeaways-pat-connaughton-malik-beasley

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Giannis Antetokounmpo wins Eastern Conference Player of the Week (again)

Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Back to back like he’s Jordan ‘96, ‘97 (woah)

Giannis Antetokounnmpo has won Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played between April 7–13, the final week of the 2024–25 regular season, per the NBA. He beat out Scottie Barnes, Onyeka Okongwu, Trae Young, and Payton Pritchard to win the honor. It’s the Greek Freak’s fourth weekly award of the season, a league-leading tally. It’s also his second in a row, something only one other player in the NBA has accomplished this season (Coby White of the Chicago Bulls). Giannis last won back-to-back Player of the Week awards in the 2022–23 season and has done so two other times in his career. That’s dominance! It’s the 27th time he’s won in his career.

Equally as dominant were his stats for the week. In three games, all wins, Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 10.0 assists, and 1.3 blocks on 57.4% shooting. His most impressive performance came against the Pistons on April 11th, where he posted 32 points, 11 rebounds, 15 assists, and two blocks on 11/22 shooting with an outstanding 10/11 performance at the charity stripe. He booked another triple double against the Timberwolves, dropping 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists on 9/15 shooting. Sadly, Giannis couldn’t keep his triple double streak going against New Orleans, as it was a blowout and he only played 25 minutes. Still, in that shortened time frame, he put up 28 points and 11 rebounds on 11/17 shooting.

Clearly, Giannis has been in takeover mode lately, and he’s finding that stride at the right time. We’ve seen him put up video game numbers against the Pacers before, and the team will need him to do it again if they’re going to advance past the first round without Damian Lillard in the lineup. Luckily, dominating when it matters most is Giannis’ specialty.

Congrats on the Player of the Week, Giannis, but we’ve got bigger fish to fry now.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/14/...cks-nba-eastern-conference-player-of-the-week

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Report: Jericho Sims likely available for first round of playoffs

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The trade deadline big man acquisition is returning from thumb surgery

As the Milwaukee Bucks gear up for the start of their first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers later this week, we’ve been getting updates about player availability in drips and drabs. For example, Damian Lillard was deemed a “miss” for the start of the playoffs earlier today as he works his way back from his DVT diagnosis. The other Buck sidelined by injury who has been eying a possible return for the postseason is one Jericho Sims. Per head coach Doc Rivers, it seems the bench center will be reporting for duty this weekend:

Doc Rivers believes Sims will be available for the #Bucks vs. the #Pacers

— Jim Owczarski (@jimowczarski.bsky.social) 2025-04-15T20:00:31.356Z

Sims has been out of commission since mid-March having sustained a torn ligament in his right thumb sustained, somewhat ironically, during a victory over the Indiana Pacers. At the time, his departure from the rotation seemed something of a serious blow given the then ongoing suspension of Bobby Portis, a hot playoff race in the East’s middle tier, and the simple fact that Sims had seemed a useful change of stylistic pace from the backup big spot at minimum.

Milwaukee ultimately weathered his absence and now has had access to its normal allotment of bigs between Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, and Portis. Still, against an opponent like the Pacers who are a bit smaller, an option like Sims off the bench to provide a modicum of switching from a center and interior presence on offense could come in handy. Jericho has appeared in 14 games as a Buck, averaging 2.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in around 15 minutes of play. Here’s a two minute compilation from his, quote, “BEST GAME as a BUCK!” against the Brooklyn Nets for those of you who might’ve forgot what he was about pre-injury:

Fully expect him to play a minimal role—if any at all—to start the series this Saturday, but don’t be surprised if he gets a little run once the coaching chess match gets fully underway against the Pacers.

Welcome back, Jericho!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/4/15/...-return-available-nba-playoffs-indiana-pacers