The Milwaukee Bucks fell to the New York Knicks in their final group-stage game of the NBA Cup, losing 109-118. This gives them a final NBA Cup record of 2-2, meaning they will not be advancing to the knockout stage. Overall, this was Milwaukee’s seventh straight loss, giving them a record of 8-12 on the season. 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
28 minutes, 30 points, 8 assists, 15 rebounds, 10/14 FG, +2
Giannis was, for the most part, the same old Giannis we know and love. He simply punished the Knicks for guarding him with Josh Hart for most of the night. I liked how patient he was while attacking those mismatches.
Myles Turner
30 minutes, 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 3/10 FG, 1/4 3P, -12
Myles’ struggles against KAT and the Knicks continued from last season when he was on the Pacers. Although I didn’t think Turner necessarily hurt the team too badly in his minutes (the plus/minus from this game is weird for all players), he certainly didn’t make much of a positive impact either; one place to start would be to be a better rebounder.
Ryan Rollins
41 minutes, 13 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 4/10 FG, 3/5 3P, +0
This was a solid game from Rollins, even though he scored less than usual. He was efficient, got his teammates involved, and made a real impact defensively on Jalen Brunson. Obviously, Ryan’s offensive workload was lightened with GA back. Also, 41 minutes is a lot!
Kyle Kuzma
28 minutes, 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 8/9 FG, 4/5 3P, -11
Maybe Kuzma’s best game of the season. Sure, he hit some tough shots, which may be unsustainable, but he also drove the ball in a controlled manner and created on the inside. Finally, I liked how Kuz, along with Ryan, made life tough for Brunson.
39 minutes, 18 points, 5 rebounds, 6/12 FG, 6/12 3P, -12
I’m loving the confidence AJ has been playing with, seeking out his shot wherever possible. I also didn’t notice too many defensive mishaps in this game compared to prior outings.
Gary Trent Jr.
25 minutes, 3 points, 1/4 FG, 1/4 3P, -6
It was a nothing-y game from Gary; the ball didn’t find him that often. It was good that he didn’t force it, though. GT had nothing for Brunson.
Cole Anthony
7 minutes, 7 points, 2 assists, 3/3 FG, -9
Well, that was a season low in minutes for Cole. Giannis is clearly going to take some of the non-Rollins minutes at PG. But hey, a point per minute isn’t bad, I guess.
Bobby Portis
17 minutes, 3 points, 2 turnovers, 1/7 FG, 1/4 3P, +3
Bobby did basically nothing on either end in this game. I hate when he fades away on his post-ups when being defended by a wing; get to the jump circle!
Gary Harris
23 minutes, 5 points, 1/2 FG, +0
Gary did a really nice job guarding Brunson and generally does all the little things that help you win.
Doc Rivers
Ugh, this is tough because the Knicks are a tough cover, and the Bucks ultimately played a solid game. That said, the team’s continued loss of the basic math battle—a trend that has spanned seasons now—clearly does not reflect all that well on the coach. At the same time, it’s not as if the Bucks have too many guys who would theoretically thrive at grabbing offensive rebounds, for example, and that’s not something you can blame on Doc. The team is really set up around Giannis to have a good first-shot offence, leaving barely any room to make hay on second-shot opportunities.
DNP-CD: Amir Coffey, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Andre Jackson Jr., Mark Sears, Jericho Sims
Inactive: Kevin Porter Jr., Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo, Pete Nance
Bonus Bucks Bits
I wrote in the game thread that the Bucks advancing to the knockout round of the NBA Cup was unlikely, but, ironically, the teams that had to lose (Detroit and Cleveland) did. If the Bucks had won, they’d have advanced!
Giannis postgame: “We had the opportunity to go to Vegas twice in a row. Not going and being able to gamble on ‘34 red’ one more time is going to be very tough for me. At the end of the day, I want to win. We’ve lost seven in a row. I don’t remember the last time I lost seven in a row.”
Doc seemed to agree about the concerns around losing the possession battle: “The bottom line is they had 13 more shots than us. They had eight more free throws. We’re outshooting teams, shooting 52%, but it’s the turnovers, it’s the offensive rebounds, it’s the fouls. It’s a numbers game, and we have to win that game.”
The Bucks are back in action tonight against the Brooklyn Nets. Watch the game at 7:00 p.m. CST on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.