Just when it looked like the Milwaukee Bucks were turning the corner, they ran into a surprising roadblock in D.C.
Fresh off a dominant win over the Brooklyn Nets that snapped a seven-game losing streak, the Bucks were stunned by the Washington Wizards in a 129-126 loss at Capital One Arena on Monday night. It was a game that showcased Milwaukee’s offensive firepower-but also exposed the defensive vulnerabilities that have haunted them all season.
Let’s start with the positives. The Bucks were scorching from beyond the arc, shooting a blistering 55.3% (21-of-38) from three-point range.
That kind of efficiency from deep usually spells victory in today’s NBA. In fact, this was just the seventh time in league history that a team made 21 or more threes at 55% or better and still lost.
Even more telling? All seven of those games have happened in the last four seasons, a reflection of the league’s evolving offensive trends.
Kevin Porter Jr. was the standout for Milwaukee, leading all scorers with 30 points on a hyper-efficient 12-of-15 shooting night, including five triples. He looked in rhythm from the jump, slicing through the Wizards’ defense with ease and knocking down shots from all over the floor.
AJ Green chipped in 13 points off the bench, hitting four threes of his own, while Gary Trent Jr. added 14 points with three makes from deep. The Bucks’ bench gave them exactly what you’d want in terms of spacing and scoring.
But here’s the issue: as hot as Milwaukee was from the perimeter, they couldn’t get stops when it mattered. The Wizards, led by veterans CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton, found ways to exploit the Bucks’ interior defense all night.
McCollum poured in 28 points on 11-of-21 shooting, showing off his trademark midrange game and craftiness around the rim. Middleton, while quieter on the stat sheet with 15 points, delivered when it counted-hitting the go-ahead three with under a minute left to seal the deal.
The most glaring stat? Washington outscored Milwaukee by 24 points in the paint.
That’s not just a number-it’s a red flag. The Bucks’ defensive issues, particularly around the rim, continue to be a problem.
They came into the game ranked 22nd in the league in defensive rating (116.7), and this performance only reinforced why. Too many breakdowns, too many easy looks inside, and not enough rim protection.
This loss is a reminder that in today’s NBA, you can’t rely on shooting alone. Yes, the Bucks are second in the league in made threes per game (15.8), and on most nights, that kind of firepower is enough to carry them. But when the defense can’t hold up its end, even a historic shooting night can go to waste.
It’s clear Milwaukee has the offensive tools to be elite-but if they want to be taken seriously as contenders, the defense needs to catch up. Because no matter how many threes you hit, you still have to get stops. And right now, the Bucks aren’t doing that consistently enough.