Just when things looked like they couldn’t get any worse for the Milwaukee Bucks, they got absolutely embarrassed by the San Antonio Spurs last night. After winning six of nine, the Bucks have now dropped three in a row and sit at 17-24 on the season, two games behind the 10th-placed Atlanta Hawks. 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 GradesGiannis Antetokounmpo

22 minutes, 21 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 7/12 FG, 1/1 3PT, 6/9 FT, -31

Giannis looked primed for another epic performance against Victor Wembanyama in his first stint (more on that later), but with the his only help coming from a trigger-happy Kyle Kuzma, he too succumbed to the Spurs’ suffocating defence and was a non-factor thereafter. He was the Bucks’ best but it didn’t matter one bit.

Grade: D

Kevin Porter Jr.

23 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 0/9 FG, 0/4 3PT, -35

I’ve arguably been Porter’s biggest supporter around here, but tonight even I can’t find a silver lining. It was the kind of game that had you rethinking his role in the Bucks’ future. He was that awful.

Grade: F

Ryan Rollins

26 minutes, 6 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, , 1 block, 2/8 FG, 1/5 3PT, 1/2 FT, -18

Rollins crashed the boards and found some assists. He even rose up for an impressive chase-down block. But he just couldn’t get any penetration agains the Spurs’ defence and, for the fifth time in six games, shot less than 37% from the field (25% on the night and 31% over that span).

Grade: D-

Myles Turner

23 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2/7 FG, 1/5 3PT, -23

Turner was again largely invisible, offering minimal resistance against penetration and hovering around the three-point line on offence. Even there, though, he was bad, clunking several of his five attempts. The contrast between Turner and Luke Kornet—the Spurs’ backup centre—was stark, and not in a good way for the Bucks centre, who often looked timid and lost.

Grade: F

AJ Green

15 minutes, 6 points, 1 assist, 2/4 FG, 2/4 3PT, -25

You could argue that Green was hindered by foul trouble that kept him off the court, limiting him to just 15 minutes of action. But defending without fouling is part of being a productive player and last night Green fell back into old habits. The fact that he recorded a -25 plus/minus in those 15 minutes of action is also telling.

Grade: F

Kyle Kuzma

22 minutes, 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 6/17 FG, 5/13 3PT, 1/1 FT, -5

Kuzma came out firing, hitting his first two threes—and five in the first half alone—in a bid to keep the Bucks afloat. It didn’t and by the time his night was over he had converted just 6/17 from the field. Overall, he was physical and made a few nice passes, but when Kuz is your leading shot taker, it’s usually a sign of bad times.

Grade:D

Bobby Portis

21 minutes, 13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 5/8 FG, 3/5 3PT, 1/1 FT, -15

Close game or blowout, Portis is going to look to score and he did so efficiently, adding a half-dozen rebounds to his baker’s dozen point total in what was another productive box-score night for the Bucks’ sixth man. On offence, he was one of the few Bucks who didn’t look deterred by Wembanyama’s presence. Of course, with the worst plus/minus off the bench, it’s not as if he made much of a positive contribution either.

Grade:D

Gary Trent Jr.

14 minutes, 3 points, 1 assist, 1/5 FG, 1/5 3PT, -9

Last year’s playoff performance now feels like a distant dream, as Trent scored in single digits for the fifth consecutive game (and 10 out of his last 11). To paraphrase our very own Jack Trehearne, whatever deal Horst had lined up for Trent in the offseason has to be broken.

Grade:F

Gary Harris

21 minutes, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1/1 FG, 1/1 3PT, -4

Gary Harris is just a pro, quietly having a very unexpectedly solid season for the Bucks. And it’s almost always on the defensive end where he stands out—at least twice in the first half alone he blew-up Spurs’ possessions. But if he’s playing this much for the Bucks, then maybe it’s time to start expecting more—or give those minutes to someone who might be able to win you a game rather than just stabilise it.

Grade: D

Doc Rivers

What do you say? For the second game in a row the Bucks were down in excess of 30 points. Granted, Rivers isn’t the one bricking shots or conceding threes and layups, but the buck stops with him—and the Bucks haven’t ever really started with him. If it wasn’t time before, it is now.

Grade: F (for “Fire”. As in he needs to be fired. Now. Get it?!).

Garbage Time: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey, Andre Jackson Jr., Jericho Sims, Pete Nance.

Inactive: Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo.

Bonus Bucks Bits

• Giannis gets up for Wemby and last night was no different—at least to start. He had 14 of the Bucks’ first 17 points, and drew two fouls on the Spurs’ unicorn, sending him to the medical room with donuts and one very sore knee.
• Unfortunately, the rest of the Bucks couldn’t follow Giannis’ lead, combining for a measly three points on 1/14 shooting up until a Kuzma three with just over two minutes left in the first quarter.
• The Bucks just couldn’t stop the Spurs getting to the line in the first half, conceding 23 attempts (and earning just 10 of their own). So much for that vaunted paint protection.
• Kuzma’s fivethrees in the first half tied his personal game-high total for the Bucks, a total he reached twice last season.
• By the 8:44 minute mark of the third quarter, Giannis’ early-game dominance was a distant memory. Stuck on 16 points, there was nothing he could do but watch as Wemby hit his fourth three to cap a 15-6 start to the quarter for the Spurs. Moments later, instead of taking Green down low, Wemby decided his fifth three would be of the turnaround fadeaway variety. He really is an alien.
• The Spurs won the third quarter 40-16. Yes, you read that correctly. And by the end of the quarter, the Bucks were down by 37 points, 106-69. You read that correctly too.
• Outside of Giannis, the Bucks’ next three best players—Turner, Rollins, and KPJ—combined to shoot just 4/24 from the field.
• Want more? While Rollins and KPJ combined for just six points on 2/17 shooting, their immediate opponents—Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox—combined for 37 points on 12/19 shooting.
• According to Milwaukee Bucks Radio Network analyst and Locked on Bucks host Justin Garcia, the combined 54-points the Bucks have lost by over the last two games is the largest two-game margin in franchise history. Yikes.
• Bonus crossword: Across 1. Inferno MD (4, 3).

Up Next

Following a three-day break, the Bucks head to Atlanta to take on the new-look Hawks where things have to be better, right? You can find all the action on Peacock—tip off is at 12:00 p.m. Central.

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