The Milwaukee Bucks coasted to a 139-118 victory in New Orleans on Friday, improving to 24-30 overall on the strength of a bench explosion. In just 21 minutes, Cam Thomas tied for the team-lead with 27 points. Bobby Portis did his thing. Pete Nance and Ousmane Dieng impressed. All in all, the second unit poured in 69 points despite absences from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner.
Bucks bench erupts in New Orleans beatdown
Giannis will come back at some point, but in the first game out of the break, the Bucks kept him on the sidelines. Nursing his own calf strain, Turner missed his second straight contest. None of that mattered thanks to a bench-mob takeover.
In addition to Thomas’ eruption, Portis dropped 17 points and 11 rebounds on 8-12 shooting. Nance provided 10 and five, plus two assists. He went 4-8 from the field and 2-4 from distance. Dieng added 10 points of his own and led the bench with a plus-8 in the box score.
Boosted by strong nights from Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr., the starting lineup did its collective part as well to overcome a goose egg from AJ Green and a foul-shortened night from Jericho Sims. When Porter is efficient, good night to opposing defenses. On 10-15 from the floor, he finished with 25 points, seven assists, two steals and a block while turning it over just once.
Jan 19, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. (7) reacts to a call against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
A lethal 7-10 from beyond the arc, Rollins contributed six dimes, four steals, and two blocks of his own. He committed only two turnovers.
Don’t forget about Kyle Kuzma, who turned in a versatile 14-point performance featuring three boards, four assists, and a 2-5 mark from three.
In an overall offensive outpouring, the starting five edged out the reserves by a score 70-69.
The victory completed the Bucks’ second three-game win streak of the season, sandwiched around a loss to Orlando on February 9. With or without Giannis and Turner, they’ll have a chance to keep the party going when they host Toronto (33-23) on Sunday.
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