Offensive rebounding has been a thorn in the Bucks’ side all season. Friday in Memphis, they flipped the script and dominated the Grizzlies 15 to 7 in the category. Bobby Portis led the way with five of his own. Yet by the latter stages the game had devolved into a near blowout. With or without Giannis Antetokounmpo in the lineup, the Bucks won’t win basketball games if they can’t do the “little” things. Against the Grizzlies, they dominated an important problem area and did not come close to victory. It’s more than a little concerning.
Milwaukee is a mess no single improvement will fix
What’s concerning is the everything else of it all. While the Bucks cleaned up on the offensive glass, all their other known flaws stuck out like a bouquet of sore thumbs.
Turnovers: 22 for Milwaukee, 14 for Memphis. Fouls: 25 to 19. That created a Grizzlies free-throw advantage of 32 to 24. They made 26 to the Bucks’ 18.
After a strong first quarter, Milwaukee’s ball movement stagnated. The turnovers piled up. The Bucks finished the game with 18 assists to Memphis’ 28. Yes, the Grizzlies made more baskets, but that’s only part of the story. Bucks teammates assisted on 50% of the team’s field goals versus 65% for the Grizzlies.
Fueled by their turnover deficit, they hemorrhaged points in transition. Memphis held a 26-13 edge in fast break points.
Dec 26, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. (7) passes the ball during the first quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
The Bucks relied as heavily as ever on perimeter shots, scoring just 28 paint points to the Grizzlies’ 54. At the same time, they made only one more 3-point shot (14 to 13 in 3-point makes). Memphis actually shot the longball a tick better (38% vs 36%). With all those easy paint points and transition looks, the Grizzlies eclipsed 50% from the field.
It ended up being a night where, outside the offensive rebounding, the Bucks put on a collective disaster class in basketball fundamentals. Kevin Porter Jr. had a rough night in particular. Milwaukee’s most dynamic scorer outside of Giannis went 4-for-15 from the field and committed seven turnovers.
One thing goes right, three or four go wrong. The Bucks are not a consistent team. Getting Giannis back will help (he’s expected to play Saturday in Chicago), but he can’t cure all their problems by himself.
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