With Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined for several weeks, Doc Rivers and the Milwaukee Bucks needed to raise their effort and intensity just to stay afloat until their star returns. That response never came. Philadelphia controlled the game Tuesday night, handing Milwaukee a 139-122 loss after the 76ers heated up from three-point range and took command early.
After the game, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers did not hide his frustration, pointing to his team’s lack of presence and consistency on the glass.
Doc Rivers, on giving up 15 offensive rebounds and 31 second-chance points: pic.twitter.com/5CCtnCnKkN
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) January 28, 2026
“We gotta be better. We started with size. There’s no excuse for the offensive rebounds, all right? Now, I have to go watch the film and see why. I felt like we were leaking out a lot, trying to get out on the break because we talked about running a lot, but I haven’t seen it, so I don’t want to say yet,” the Bucks head coach remarked via The Athletic’s Eric Nehm.
With the three-point margin working against them, Doc Rivers and the Bucks had little room for error elsewhere. Ball security and rebounding were supposed to be the counters, but both fell short.
Doc Rivers and the Bucks fall short against the 76ers
Jan 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers looks on in the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Milwaukee finished with five more turnovers than Philadelphia, 11 to 6, and was outmatched on the glass, where the 76ers pulled down 46 rebounds to the Bucks’ 38. Philadelphia added 15 offensive boards, creating extra possessions that only fueled a team already finding its rhythm offensively.
The Bucks went big to start, pairing Myles Turner, Bobby Portis, and Kyle Kuzma in the opening lineup, but the rebounding edge never materialized. Even so, Milwaukee was beaten on the glass by an undersized 76ers group that used Kelly Oubre Jr. at the four.
Jan 19, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner (3), guard Kevin Porter Jr. (7) and forward Bobby Portis (9) jump for the rebound against the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
With few dependable alternatives behind those three, a different rotation approach, possibly spreading their minutes out, could make more sense moving ahead.
The minutes with Jericho Sims on the floor were especially damaging. He struggled to find his footing, committed turnovers on errant passes, and Milwaukee consistently fell further behind during his time on the court.