For the third time in four games, the Milwaukee Bucks were blown out by a Western Conference team, losing 122-102 to the defending NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Things have tumbled quickly for the Bucks; after winning five of their last seven games, they’ve now dropped four of five. 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
Giannis Antetokounmpo
31 minutes, 19 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 turnovers, 8/11 FG, 3/6 FT, -11
Despite missing several big-time defensive pieces in Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein, the Thunder still made it incredibly difficult for Giannis to get going. To his credit, though, GA was still very efficient, picking up another double-double and having seven assists.
Grade: B-
Ryan Rollins
29 minutes, 10 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 turnovers, 4/11 FG, 2/5 3P, -9
The ball pressure from OKC’s defense really made it a hard day for Rollins as well. He found his spots at times, but between Cason Wallace and Lu Dort, it was tough for him to get consistent opportunities.
Grade: C-
AJ Green
32 minutes, 15 points, 3 rebounds, 4/9 3P, -14
Green has really found his stroke in January. He’s been shooting 40.7% so far, and added a 44% performance last night. The Bucks have needed these types of performances from him, even in ugly losses.
Grade: B
Kyle Kuzma
28 minutes, 7 points, 3 rebounds, 3/11 FG, 0/5 3P, -20
Things keep trending downward for Kuzma as the season progresses. He wasn’t able to do much on defence guarding SGA (to be fair, few can), and according to Doc Rivers, he wasn’t in the right spots offensively. According to Rivers, he was supposed to be a screener and roller in the middle, but ended up just spacing and hoisting up five three-pointers.
Grade: D+
Bobby Portis
37 minutes, 15 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, 6/14 FG, 2/7 3P, +0
Bobby continues to be a consistent offensive player off the bench for the Bucks. He added another 15 points and even distributed the ball a little bit, doling out nine assists.
Grade: B-
Pete Nance
30 minutes, 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3/5 3P, +3
What a revelation Nance has been over the last two games. Last night, he played double the minutes he did on Monday and looked pretty solid on both ends. Of the players who played more than 10 minutes, he was the only Buck to be a positive in the plus/minus.
Grade: B+
Cole Anthony
29 minutes, 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers, 7/9 FG, 3/4 3P, -2
With Kevin Porter Jr. out, Doc Rivers tapped Cole Anthony to return to the rotation and fill in as the backup point guard. He did well and was Bucks’ leading scorer at halftime. While he had his moments of good play, the bad with Anthony reared its ugly head again with some bone-headed turnovers.
Grade: B
Doc Rivers
If any team has perfected the right approach to NBA basketball in the 2020s, it’s been the Thunder. The difference between them and how Doc runs the Bucks couldn’t be more stark. The way OKC runs offense and stays locked into their principles is impressive to watch. Meanwhile, the Bucks are apparently focused on the more basic elements of basketball, like moving the ball with pace. It’s the clearest example of how the modern NBA has passed Rivers by.
Grade: D-
Limited Minutes: Gary Harris, Andre Jackson Jr, Gary Trent Jr.
Garbage Time: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Amir Coffey, Jericho Sims
Inactive: Myles Turner, Kevin Porter Jr, Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo
Bonus Bucks Bits
- Giannis wore an All-Star patch on his jersey, commemorating his selection as a starter from the Eastern Conference. With his 10th straight selection, Giannis became the first Bucks player in franchise history to have 10 All-Star appearances with the team.
- Before the game, Myles Turner (left ankle sprain) and KPJ (oblique strain) were both ruled out. Rivers said that Turner is just day-to-day, but Porter could be out for some time, with no clear timetable for his return.
- The Bucks are now 10-20 since starting the season 8-5.
- This is the fourth straight game that Giannis has shot the ball 13 times or less. Giannis was asked postgame how the team could get him more shots:
“I’m not the guy who will yell and cuss a teammate out and demand the ball. I’ve never done that in my career. I feel like I’ve played with teammates who understand the gravity I can cause for our team, how I can create for my teammates or for myself. Maybe because we’re young, maybe it’s because we’re not playing well, maybe guys think it’s their turn. They want to carry the team on their back and try to turn this around, but I don’t get it. It’s not like I’m not trying to be aggressive.”
- I asked Bobby Portis how he handles these types of loses, especially when they come this close together:
“It’s the NBA, man, in about six or seven games, I’m about to play my 700th NBA game, which is crazy to say. So, I’ve played in a lot of different games, a lot of different moments, can’t get too high or too low. Obviously, you want to have that sense of urgency on a nightly basis; that’s something you have to have, especially where we are in the season. We’re not where we want to be, you’ve just got to have that sense of urgency every night so you can give yourself the best chance to win.”
- In previous interviews, Giannis has stated that there are times when he feels some of the younger players are trying to do too much. So, I asked Giannis about what type of learning curve it takes for a young player to break out of that and progress:
“Time and experience. I was like 20, 21. I think it was my third year in the league, but then in my fourth year, it (got) better. I had great vets that taught me how to play the game, how to play unselfish basketball, play winning basketball. I felt like I was always on go mode, and they were able to tell me to find my teammates and set the tone, move the ball. There are going to be times during the game it’s going to be your turn to take over the game. I learned to read the plays, I learned to read momentum, I learned to read runs. I remember back in the day when the team went on a run, there would never be a case where I didn’t touch the ball. If you can find a clip of the team going on a run and didn’t throw me the ball in the post, to go to the free throw line, get a wide-open shot, and create this gravity. When I was younger, I didn’t know what I was doing, but they understood for me.”
Up Next
Milwaukee will have another late tip-off at home this week, welcoming the Nuggets to Fiserv Forum to finish their two-game season series. Tip-off is slated for 8:30 p.m. Central time, with the game available to stream on Prime Video. On cable, it can still be watched on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.
