The Milwaukee Bucks once again played without Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the margin for error shrank immediately. Playing a fifth straight game without their two-time MVP as he recovers from a right calf strain, the Bucks entered the night knowing late possessions would matter more than ever. However, that reality surfaced late. The Bucks fell 111–105 to the Toronto Raptors in a matchup defined by short runs and missed chances. Milwaukee cut the deficit to three in the fourth quarter, but never got closer. Momentum hovered, then slipped. When The Athletic’s Eric Nehm asked what kept the Bucks comeback from turning into a lead, Doc Rivers offered a blunt breakdown.
“Both ends, really. After the first quarter, I thought defensively, we were pretty good, holding teams to 26 points, you can live with that. I just thought we struggled scoring the entire night. I didn't think we got to a lot of next actions. Their switching bothered us a little bit. I thought we got stagnant and we didn't make shots either.”
The night followed that script. The Bucks trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half before finding a brief spark. Bobby Portis drilled a three in the third quarter to put the Bucks ahead 59–57. The building responded and the push felt real. Sadly, it didn’t last.
A Familiar Bucks Pattern Without Giannis
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Portis carried the load off the bench, finishing with 24 points and steady energy. Still, clean looks were rare and second chances disappeared. Those issues mirror the season-long trends. The Bucks rank 24th in points per game, 11th in assists, and 30th in rebounds. They also sit in the bottom half of the league in steals and blocks, limiting easy offense and momentum swings.
The Raptors switched defensively, disrupted flow, and closed each Bucks run with patience. The win lifted them to 17–11, good for No. 3 in the East. Milwaukee dropped to 11–17, now No. 11, having lost 12 of its last 15 games.
Doc Rivers and the Bucks keep fighting, but the answers keep coming up short. And until Giannis returns, the question grows louder. How long can effort alone keep this season afloat?