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The Milwaukee Bucks fell to 1-4 after the Memphis Grizzlies blew them out 122-99 on Thursday evening, with point guard Ja Morant posting a 26-point, 14-assist, 10-rebound double-double.
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo did all he could, scoring 37 points on 17-of-22 shooting alongside 11 rebounds. The rest of the Bucks largely struggled, particularly Damian Lillard, who scored four points on 1-of-12 shooting. Lillard and fellow starters Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince made just 1-of-19 three-pointers.
Memphis outclassed and outhustled Milwaukee all night. Examples include the rebounding discrepancy (62-46) and a 40-point first quarter. Memphis led by as many as 31 en route to the 23-point win.
The 2024-25 season has featured a nightmarish start for the Bucks, whose NBA Finals win three seasons ago seems lightyears away now. Milwaukee opened the year with a 124-109 win over a shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers team missing Joel Embiid and Paul George, but the Bucks have lost four straight by an average of 14.5 points ever since. Each game has been a double-digit loss, and the Bucks have allowed 122.25 points a contest during that span.
Milwaukee is without three-time All-Star Khris Middleton, who is recovering from surgery on both ankles. It’s still hard to see light at the end of the tunnel for a team that had championship aspirations one year ago when it brought Lillard aboard.
Fans are particularly upset with head coach Doc Rivers, who has not fared well since taking over the team at midseason last year.
Milwaukee fired first-year head coach Adrian Griffin despite a 30-13 start. Including playoffs, In Griffin’s stead, Rivers is 20-27 as the Bucks’ head coach, and that’s a record hard to fathom considering Milwaukee’s recent success coupled with the fact that the team rosters one of the NBA’s elite talents in Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP.
The saving grace is that the season is just five games old, so Milwaukee has plenty of time to turn this around and the talent to do so.
It’s really ugly right now for the Bucks, though. The skid could very well continue, too, with a home-and-home set up next against the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday and Monday.