The hits keep on coming for the Milwaukee Bucks, as they couldn’t win their second-to-last home game of December, losing to the Toronto Raptors 111-105. Even with good offensive games from a couple of bigs,
Milwaukee couldn’t get back over the hump to complete the comeback. The Bucks are 1-2 against the Raptors this season and have lost two straight to the team up north. 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
Kevin Porter Jr.
40 minutes, 22 points, 13 assists, 4 rebounds, 7 turnovers, 7/18 FG, 2/6 3PT, +2
While the counting numbers look solid for KPJ, this wasn’t his best day. At times, it felt like he was pressing and doing too much to put the Bucks on his back. He must clean up the turnovers—and it better be sooner rather than later.
Grade: C+
Myles Turner
31 minutes, 21 points, 6 rebounds, 6/14 FG, 4/10 3PT, 5/6 FT, -9
Turner was a man on a mission in the first half, attempting 10 total shots. He looked much more in flow with the offense and was the Bucks’ leading scorer at the break with 15 points. Then his shots dried up in the second half, and he would’ve only scored three points if not for a late bomb.
Grade: B
Ryan Rollins
28 minutes, 17 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 7/15 FG, 3/7 3PT, +7
For the first time since the season opener, Rollins came off the bench for the Bucks. He was solid as ever and was better than KPJ at times. Still a head scratcher as to why Doc opted to play him off the bench.
Grade: B+
AJ Green
24 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2/5 FG, -3
It was AJ Green’s first game back in 13 days, and it showed. Green didn’t move well and didn’t get his first three-point attempts until the fourth quarter. Hopefully, this game will get the ball rolling in the right direction for Sunday.
Grade: C-
Gary Trent Jr.
30 minutes, 3 points, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1/8 FG, 1/5 3PT, -15
After a strong run of form from Trent, he had himself a stinker last night. GT had open looks; he just couldn’t bury them. Put this game in the rearview mirror for Trent against his former team.
Grade: D-
Bobby Portis
39 minutes, 24 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals, 9/16 FG, 3/6 3PT, +3
I know there are things about Bobby’s game to criticize, but he’s been great offensively for the Bucks. It’s arguably been his best season in that department.
Grade: B+
Jericho Sims
26 minutes, 6 points, 7 rebounds, 4 fouls, 4 turnovers, 3/4 FG, -6
We saw the good and bad with Sims last night. He can be a good roller at times, he rebounds the ball well enough, and his hops are something to marvel at. But why Doc continues to play him such heavy minutes (tonight not withstanding with Kyle Kuzma out) baffles me.
Grade: C-
Gary Harris
21 minutes, 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3/4 FG, -9
One of the better defenders on Ingram last night, Harris was solid on both ends. He continues to be a surprise contributor, considering where he was in the rotation at the start of the season.
Grade: B
Doc Rivers
Doc gave an interesting answer when asked why he sent Rollins to the bench to start the game. It was to have a fresh guard on the court at all times to counter the Raptors’ ball pressure, and the numbers with Rollins and KPJ haven’t been good sans Giannis. Benching him just didn’t seem like the right move, and it appears it won’t be changing anytime soon.
Grade: D+
DNP-CD: Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey, Andre Jackson Jr., Pete Nance, Mark Sears, Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Inactive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyle Kuzma, Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo
Bonus Bucks Bits
- Bobby Portis officially sits alone in third place for double-doubles by reserves in NBA history. He recorded his 82nd double-double, passing Roy Tarpley, and is only four behind Enes Freedom for second place (86).
- The Bucks had the game within four points, 88-92 with 7:01 left in the fourth quarter. That was the closest they got, as the Raptors went on a 9-3 run in one minute and 56 seconds of game time to take a 10 point lead. Bobby was asked what went wrong in that stretch and why they couldn’t get over the hump:
“We couldn’t string together consecutive stops. We had a lot of energy going on from the second quarter on; the ball was moving, guys flashing (to the ball), just playing their roles. Then on defense, we couldn’t string together enough stops, three, four in a row, couldn’t get a kill (three stops in a row). I feel like we would get two and then they would hit a janky shot or a put-back, that’s just how the game went.”
- The Bucks are now 2-9 in games without Giannis this season.
- Despite that record, Doc said that the Bucks are getting closer to finding what they to win without him.
“I think we’re starting to figure out, and we’re not there, who plays best in the non-Giannis minutes. That’s something, if we can get Giannis back healthy for the rest of the year, I think it will serve well for us.”
- The Bucks are now 1-2 in the Cream City jerseys this season.
Up Next
The Bucks will begin a five-game road trip against the six-seed in the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves, for the first time this season. The game is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 21, with tip-off at 6:00 p.m. Central time; it will be televised on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.
