The Milwaukee Bucks fall to 0/2 in the NBA Cup and 1-12 overall, losing to the Orlando Magic 107-99 in a game that was at least competitive. Jaime Jaquez Jr. led the Bucks yet again with 22 points off the bench on 8/15 shooting and 5/7 from three. Franz Wagner starred for the Magic, dropping a near triple-double of 35 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds (at one point it was a triple-double, but they apparently retracted a rebound).
NBA.com Box Score
Game Recap
With Ousmane Dieng getting the surprise start,
the Bucks began slowly, with Myles Turner turning the ball over twice in the first two possessions and the team going 1/5 from the field and 1/4 from the charity stripe as the Magic led 12-4 at the seven-minute mark. Milwaukee responded, however, with a 10-3 run, thanks in large part to Kel’el Ware, who impacted early with a put-back slam and a corner triple. We even got treated to first-quarter Gary Trent Jr. minutes, but his elite defence couldn’t stop Franz Wagner, who carved up the visitors in the pick-and-roll as the Magic took a 23-15 lead into the first major break.
Wagner continued to kill the Bucks early in the second, nailing two threes to extend Orlando’s lead to 13 just over two minutes in as Milwaukee’s shooting woes continued. Thankfully, a select few Bucks were shooting well, including Myles Turner, who nailed his third three of the night to cut the deficit to 10 with seven minutes to play. After starting 0/5, Tyler Herro began to cook as the second wore on, hitting a three, a floater, and a few free throws as the Bucks inched closer, down 34-28 halfway through the period. Unfortunately, the Magic closed on an 18-8 run as their balanced attack dominated the Bucks on both ends, leading 52-36 at the half.
Coach Jenkins started Nate Ament in Dieng’s place to start the third, and the rookie paid that faith off, opening the quarter with a corner three after going 1/6 in the first half. In general, the Bucks looked much more fluid on offence, but they couldn’t get stops as Desmond Bane punished them twice from deep to give his side a 65-45 edge four minutes in. The visitors wouldn’t give in, though; they knuckled down on defence, which allowed them to play more in transition and go on a 10-0 run. That said, the Bucks had major free throw issues, making just 7/15 (!) midway through the third. That’s when Desmond Bane really started to cook, knocking in a three plus the foul, then another three on the next possession as the margin blew back out to 16. Jaime Jaquez Jr. was huge to close the quarter, though, nailing multiple bombs and a mid-range shot to keep the Bucks within shouting distance, down 84-72 after three.
It was a frantic start to the fourth, with Milwaukee giving up plenty of open looks but the Magic failing to hit any; as a result, the visitors kept their deficit around 10 as they lived at the line. The Magic’s lead stayed around that margin for the next four minutes as the Bucks’ parade to the charity stripe continued (though they kept missing when they got there). In fact, Milwaukee didn’t hit a field goal for over six minutes, but remarkably, they remained (somewhat) in the game, even cutting the lead to eight at one point. In the end, though, Franz Wagner was too much, leading his side to their first home victory of the season.
Stat That Stood Out
The Bucks were atrocious from the free throw line, making just 18 of 31 attempts in a game they lost by eight. Kyle Kuzma shot a staggering 7/15 on his own!
Obscene Overreaction
I physically cannot watch Kuzma-ball anymore, man. It’s buyout time (even though I get that he has no incentive to want that).
