Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks dropped their seventh straight game after a 118 to 109 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Friday. The defeat knocked Milwaukee out of the NBA Cup, marking the first time in the three years of the in-season tournament that the defending champions did not make it to the quarterfinals.
The Knicks topped East Group C with a 4 and 1 record, closing the door on Milwaukee’s bid for another tournament push.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: “We had the opportunity to go to Vegas twice in a row. Not going & 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 7 in a row. I don’t remember the last time I lost 7 in a row.” pic.twitter.com/nrDPlajKtm
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) November 29, 2025
“We had the opportunity to go to Vegas twice in a row. Not going & 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 7 in a row. I don’t remember the last time I lost 7 in a row,” Giannis remarked via Hoop Hype’s Michael Scotto.
The Bucks are deep in their longest losing streak since an eight-game stretch from March 11 to 27, 2014. The skid kicked off on November 15 against the Los Angeles Lakers and carried into a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on November 17, when Antetokounmpo injured his groin.
Milwaukee struggled to a 0-5 record in games without Antetokounmpo this season. The team’s challenges grew with the absence of key players like Kevin Porter Jr., recovering from knee surgery, and Taurean Prince, sidelined for neck surgery.
Giannis Antetokounmpo in his return for the Bucks
Nov 28, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dribbles up court during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
In their NBA Cup match against the Knicks, the Bucks struggled with 15 turnovers, 26 fouls, and 14 offensive rebounds that let the Knicks score 22 second-chance points. In the final minutes, Antetokounmpo’s dunk cut the deficit to two, but fouling Knicks star Jalen Brunson on a three-pointer gave New York a crucial three-point play that Milwaukee could not recover from.
The Greek Freak returned after missing four games with a left adductor strain, his longest stretch out since February 2025.
In 28 minutes on the court, Antetokounmpo scored 30 points on 10-of-14 shooting, grabbed 15 rebounds, and added eight assists while turning the ball over just three times. This marked the 157th game in his career with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, tying him with Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Nov 28, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dribbles as New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) defends during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
He also reached 30 points while shooting 70 percent or better for the 57th time, ranking sixth all-time behind Karl Malone.
That being said, Antetokounmpo’s comeback was not enough to prevent the Bucks from extending their losing streak to seven games.
The Bucks hope to end their skid when they take on the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, with Kevin Porter Jr. returning to the lineup.