Kyle Kuzma is fed up with so-called moral victories. The Milwaukee Bucks have lost four straight, seven of eight, and sit 18-28 on the season, 12th in the East and four games out of the play-in. Giannis Antetokounmpo is hurt, on the trade block, and likely to be shut down anyway if he remains in Milwaukee past the deadline.
The Bucks trailed all night against the Wizards on Thursday but battled back from a double-digit deficit to get within two, 101-99, on a Kuzma-assisted Myles Turner three with 90 seconds to go. That was as close as the game would be. The Wizards strode out of Fiserv Forum with a 109-99 victory, just their 12th of the year, and a 3-1 advantage in the season series.
Asked about Milwaukee’s comeback efforts in the fourth, Kuzma wasn’t having any of it.
Kuzma’s response confronts Bucks with reality they’ve cornered themselves into
Beat reporter Eric Nehm asked the Bucks forward about the team battling back late, their “willingness to keep fighting.” Kuzma, who finished the game with 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, wasn’t about to cop to a glass half-full response.
“I think it just shows we don’t have a sense of urgency, you know? You could look at it one way that we’re resilient, we can get back, but we can’t keep doing that to ourselves. We’ve done this so many games this year.”
Dec 23, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (18) passes the ball while Indiana Pacers guard/forward Andrew Nembhard (2) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
He’s right. The Bucks shouldn’t be down to a tanking Wizards team in the first place – or, maybe, that should no longer come as a surprise. Even optimism can’t obscure the reality about this team. The Bucks are bad. Full stop. The optimistic approach, through an inverted sort of lens, is to recognize that embracing the tank is the best thing this franchise can do for the rest of the season.
But in pointing out that the Bucks have been battling behind the 8-ball this whole season long, Kuzma hits the nail on the head. How many times have they dug themselves a hole, clawed back late, but been able to make up lost ground? That’s what happened in the 102-100 Nuggets loss where Giannis sustained his latest calf strain.
This team doesn’t play with urgency. The entire cast has looked lackadaisical for most of many games. Trying to make up for that in the final five minutes is a recipe for futility.
“I think if we bring that same edge and an urgency earlier then we’d probably have a different type of [result.]”
Dec 11, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (7) looks for a shot against Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (18) in the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
That lack of urgency early in games is a microcosm of the Bucks’ season. Let’s be real. Anything the Bucks can muster from hereon out will be too little, too late.
At this point, Kuz, don’t worry about it. Lean into the tank. Lose as many games as possible to secure draft position. The Bucks are owed the least favorable of their own and the Pelicans pick, both of which are projected to land top-8 or better. In the corner this team has backed into, that approach is worth a lot more than chasing their own tail on the fringes of the play-in race.
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