The Milwaukee Bucks evened the season series to the Boston Celtics by losing this one, 107-79. Ryan Rollins was the main bright spot for the Bucks; his 25 points were a larger share of the Bucks’ total
than anyone would have liked. Kyle Kuzma chipped in with 16 and some defense. Meanwhile, 30 points for Jaylen Brown and 27 for Anfernee Simons in a pretty complete performance form the Celtics. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below:
Player Grades
Ryan Rollins
36 minutes, 25 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 10/16 FG, 3/4 3P, -15
Rollins came out hunting buckets and got them in spades. He picked up some turnovers early but was clean the rest of the game. His teammates need to find him more and his whistle needs to catch up to his rising star power. Honestly the main reason I watch this team right now.
Grade: A-
Myles Turner
26 minutes, 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 2/8 FG, 1/4 3P, -21
Following Zac’s question from the preview, it seems like the last few games were a mirage. Four shots inside against this Celtics team? Decent rim protection but stickier hands would be appreciated.
Grade: D+
AJ Green
29 minutes, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1/5 3P, -27
Rough day at the office. Bad karma to be the first Buck to miss after a 13-3 start.
Grade: D-
Kyle Kuzma
34 minutes, 16 points, 2 assists, 5 rebounds, 5/13 FG, 2/4 3P, –1
At least someone reached double-digits, even if my notes for a couple of his baskets included the word “somehow” and the efficiency leaves a little to be desired (luckily he got to the line). The team-best non-garbage plus-minus might speak to defense but I was busy watching the offense go nowhere.
Grade: B
Bobby Portis
37 minutes, 8 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 turnovers, 4/13 FG, 0/2 3P, -13
Oh Bobby. 11 of your 13 shots inside the arc, and not just in the paint cleaning up Cole’s misses? The turnovers weren’t great either.
Grade: D
Pete Nance
18 minutes, 7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 fouls, 3/6 FG, 1/3 3P, -16
Tried his best. The fouls showed some inexperience.
Grade: C-
Gary Trent Jr.
25 minutes, 9 points, 2/8 FG, 2/7 3P, -18
Just brutal. The two makes were splashed when the outcome was settled. And the one shot inside the arc was a classic fouled drive. It’s Gary at the rim, It’s Gary at the rim, It’s scary, It’s scary, It’s Gary at the rim!
Grade: F
Cole Anthony
15 minutes, 2 points, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 1/6 FG, 0/2 3P, –16
Yeah.
Grade: D-
Doc Rivers
Just another game of Bucks basketball under Doc Rivers. No screaming errors to me. I was surprised at the space that Milwaukee gave Boston from deep—not that it really hurt them—but maybe that’s just upholding tradition. I don’t have numbers on this, but it doesn’t feel like this was the first time that the Bucks came out hot before they pretty much fell apart. I didn’t see errors, but I didn’t see key in-game adjustments either. Maybe that’s upholding tradition too.
Grade: C-
Limited minutes: Andre Jackson Jr., Amir Coffey, Jericho Sims, Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Inactive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Porter Jr., Taurean Prince
Bonus Bucks Bits
- It was the inaugural NBA Pioneers Classic, honoring the first Black players in the NBA. It turns out that Bobby Portis played one of them in a movie. Fun! It also turns out that a trophy was up for grabs. Not quite.
- The five first-quarter turnovers weren’t a harbinger of things to come; only five more the rest of the way.
- The net cam during free throws could be improved so that court language doesn’t awkwardly hover over the players. Just to be the squeaky wheel.
- Doc Rivers got a shout-out from Bill Russell’s daughter. That’s something, at least!
- Wesley Matthews vouched for a “case study” to determine who would find basketball interesting if it only consisted of free throws. I think you’re looking for a different social scientific methodology, friend.
- Lisa described a kid who breakdanced at halftime and timeouts as “one of the best parts of the afternoon.” Too true, Lisa.
- The Bucks may not have scored the ball, but at least their top three scorers put up 25 (Rollins), 16 (Kuzma), and 9 (GTJ). What’s so special about that, you ask? Pythagorean’s theorem, baby: 3^2 + 4^2 = 5^2.
Up Next
The Bucks return home for a three-game stretch starting Tuesday against the Bulls. Catch the game on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 7:00 p.m. CST.
