The Milwaukee Bucks’ recent slide continued Tuesday night with a 122-102 loss to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder - their third blowout defeat in four games against Western Conference opponents. What started as a promising stretch - five wins in seven - has quickly unraveled, with Milwaukee now dropping four of their last five and struggling to find rhythm on either end of the court.
Let’s break down what went wrong, what (if anything) went right, and where the Bucks go from here - starting with individual performances.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 19 PTS, 14 REB, 7 AST (8-11 FG, -11)
Even on an off night, Giannis still finds a way to fill the stat sheet.
He was efficient from the field, not forcing much, and picked up a double-double with seven assists. But make no mistake - the Thunder made life difficult for him.
Despite missing key defenders like Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein, OKC packed the paint and challenged every drive. The fact that Giannis only attempted 11 shots tells you a lot about how this game flowed.
He’s still the engine, but lately, the Bucks haven’t been giving him enough gas.
Grade: B-
Ryan Rollins: 10 PTS, 7 AST, 3 REB, 3 STL (4-11 FG, -9)
Rollins had his hands full with the Thunder’s relentless perimeter defense.
Cason Wallace and Lu Dort were in his jersey all night, and it showed. While he found some rhythm in spurts and moved the ball well with seven assists, the lack of consistent offensive opportunities kept him from making a bigger impact.
Grade: C-
AJ Green: 15 PTS, 3 REB (4-9 3PT, -14)
Green continues to be one of the few bright spots in January.
He’s now shooting over 40% from deep this month, and his 44% clip from three last night was one of the few things keeping the Bucks from falling even further behind. He’s doing exactly what Milwaukee needs from him - spacing the floor and hitting open looks.
Grade: B
Kyle Kuzma: 7 PTS, 3 REB (3-11 FG, 0-5 3PT, -20)
It’s been a rough stretch for Kuzma, and Tuesday night didn’t do much to change that.
He struggled defensively against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - not a unique problem, but still a problem - and couldn’t find his rhythm offensively. Doc Rivers noted postgame that Kuzma wasn’t in the right spots, often floating to the perimeter instead of rolling to the rim as designed.
The result? Five missed threes and a night to forget.
Grade: D+
Bobby Portis: 15 PTS, 6 REB, 9 AST (6-14 FG, +0)
Portis brought his usual energy off the bench and added some unexpected playmaking with nine assists.
He’s been one of the more consistent contributors during this rocky stretch, and while his shot wasn’t falling at a high clip, his ability to keep the offense moving gave the Bucks some much-needed fluidity.
Grade: B-
Pete Nance: 11 PTS, 4 REB (3-5 3PT, +3)
Nance has quietly emerged as a reliable two-way contributor over the last couple of games.
He doubled his minutes from Monday and responded with solid defense and timely shooting. He was the only Buck with significant minutes to finish with a positive plus-minus - a small but telling stat in a blowout loss.
Grade: B+
Cole Anthony: 17 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST (7-9 FG, 3-4 3PT, -2)
With Kevin Porter Jr. sidelined, Cole Anthony stepped into a bigger role and made the most of it - at least offensively.
He led the team in scoring at halftime and was efficient from the field. But the turnover bug bit again, with four giveaways marring what could’ve been a breakout night.
Still, he gave the Bucks a scoring punch they sorely needed.
Grade: B
Doc Rivers: Head Coach
There’s no sugarcoating it - the Bucks looked outclassed, and that starts at the top.
While the Thunder executed with precision, Milwaukee looked disjointed, especially on offense. The contrast in structure and identity was stark.
Rivers emphasized ball movement and pace postgame, but those are table stakes in today’s NBA. Right now, Milwaukee looks like a team still searching for a blueprint while others - like OKC - are already building skyscrapers.
Grade: D-
Limited Minutes: Gary Harris, Andre Jackson Jr., Gary Trent Jr.
Garbage Time: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Amir Coffey, Jericho Sims
Bonus Bucks Bits
- Giannis took the court wearing an All-Star patch, a nod to his 10th consecutive selection as a starter for the Eastern Conference. That milestone makes him the first player in Bucks history to notch 10 All-Star appearances with the franchise - a remarkable achievement for a player who continues to redefine what a franchise cornerstone looks like.
- The Bucks were without Myles Turner (left ankle sprain) and Kevin Porter Jr. (oblique strain). While Turner is considered day-to-day, Porter’s return remains uncertain, with no clear timetable.
- Milwaukee is now 10-20 since starting the season 8-5. The slide has been steep, and the frustration is starting to show.
Giannis Speaks on Shot Volume and Leadership
After the game, Giannis was asked about his recent dip in shot attempts - this was his fourth straight game with 13 or fewer field goal attempts. His response was telling:
“I’m not the guy who will yell and cuss a teammate out and demand the ball. I’ve never done that in my career… Maybe because we’re young, maybe it’s because we’re not playing well, maybe guys think it’s their turn.
They want to carry the team on their back and try to turn this around, but I don’t get it. It’s not like I’m not trying to be aggressive.”
Giannis also reflected on his own growth curve, pointing out how experience and strong veteran leadership helped him learn when to take over and when to defer. He emphasized the importance of reading the game’s momentum - something he says younger teammates are still learning:
“I had great vets that taught me how to play the game, how to play unselfish basketball, play winning basketball… I remember back in the day when the team went on a run, there would never be a case where I didn’t touch the ball.”
Bobby Portis on Staying Level-Headed
Veteran forward Bobby Portis, approaching his 700th NBA game, put things in perspective when asked about managing these tough stretches:
“You can’t get too high or too low. Obviously, you want to have that sense of urgency on a nightly basis… especially where we are in the season. We’re not where we want to be.”
What’s Next
The Bucks will look to regroup at home later this week when they host the Denver Nuggets in a late tip-off at Fiserv Forum. It’s the second and final meeting between the two this season, and a chance for Milwaukee to prove they can still hang with the league’s elite.
Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. CT, streaming on Prime Video and airing locally on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.
The season isn’t lost, but the clock is ticking. The Bucks need answers - and fast.