Milwaukee, WI
Cornerstone Shift in Milwaukee? Damian Lillard Shines As Bucks’ New Force, Raising Doubts on Giannis’ Dominance
It was 1971 when a young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor, led the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship. Fast forward over 50 years, and the city of Milwaukee witnessed another giant lead them to basketball glory once again. This time, the 26-year-old “Greek Freak,” Giannis Antetokounmpo, steered the Bucks to their 2nd championship. While the Bucks have struggled to maintain championship form since their 2021 win, the arrival of Damian Lillard has lit up a new fire.
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Recent stats tweeted by Basketball Forever raise questions about Giannis’ dominance in the Bucks. Notably, Milwaukee lost 5 games with Giannis playing while Lillard was sidelined. On the flip side, they went 3-1 when Lillard suited up and Giannis took a break. So, is Damian Lillard the secret recipe the Bucks have been missing? Or perhaps is the partnership of Dame and the Greek Freak the secret sauce to the Bucks’ championship run?
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The Milwaukee Bucks overcame the absence of their star Giannis Antetokounmpo (30.8 PPG, 11.2 RPG) with a scorching display of three-point shooting to defeat the Phoenix Suns 140-129 tonight. Giannis sat out with a sore hamstring on Sunday, but the Bucks decided to put on a three-point shooting clinic anyway, torching the Suns. He has missed his 4th game of the season and 1st since March 4, when he was out with Achilles tendinitis and guess what, the Bucks won every time except for one.
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Giannis Goes Down, Damian Comes Up
Stepping into the spotlight, Damian Lillard filled the void (and then some) with a monster double-double of 31 points and a career-tying 16 assists. Joining the party was Bobby Portis, who came off the bench to match Lillard’s point total with 31 points, adding 10 rebounds in just 13 minutes. His efficiency was remarkable, going 5-for-5 from beyond the arc and 10-of-13 from the field overall. Between Dame and Bobby, they had a staggering 62 points!
The Bucks rained 3’s all night, connecting on a franchise-record tying 24 of their 41 attempts from downtown. Khris Middleton, returning from a 16-game absence due to an ankle sprain, chipped in with 22 points. This barrage of 3’s was crucial to overpower the high-powered Suns offense led by Bradley Beal (28 points), Grayson Allen (25 points), and Devin Booker (23 points).
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The win puts the Bucks back in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference, 1.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers. They’re also riding high on recent wins against the Clippers (113-106) and the Raptors (128-112), both without Giannis but with Dame leading the charge. Next up, the Boston Celtics on March 21st. So, are the Bucks better off without Giannis? Or will the Greek Freak and Dame become the league’s most unstoppable duo to lead their team to the championship? Stay tuned to find out more!
Giannis Antetokounmpo Rolls With the Punches Despite Bucks’ Anti-Climatic Ending
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Scene near 107th and Wabash, Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee police are investigating two separate fatal shootings that occurred within hours of each other on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 4.
107th and Wabash
What we know:
The first shooting was reported around 2 p.m. near 107th and Wabash, according to the Milwaukee Police Department. A 40-year-old victim suffered gunshot wounds and later died from those injuries.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting remain under investigation, and police are continuing to search for a suspect or suspects.
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64th and Mill
What we know:
A second fatal shooting was reported around 3:40 p.m., near 64th and Mill. Police said a 53-year-old victim was shot and died from their injuries. A suspect is in custody and charges will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.
The shooting remains under active investigation.
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Authorities say the incidents are not related.
MPD tips
What you can do:
Anyone with information related to either shooting is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or via the P3 Tips app.
The Source: Anyone with any information is asked to contact the MPD at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or use the P3 Tips app.
The Sacramento Kings (8-27) will be trying to stop a four-game losing streak when hosting the Milwaukee Bucks (15-20) on Sunday, January 4, 2026 at Golden 1 Center. It airs at 9 p.m. ET on FDSWI and NBCS-CA.
The Bucks hit the court as 6.5-point favorites against the Kings. The over/under for the game is set at 228.5.
Bucks vs. Kings betting odds
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Sunday at 3:29 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
- Spread: Milwaukee -6.5
- Total: 228.5
- Moneyline: Milwaukee -244, Sacramento +200
Watch this game on Fubo!
Bucks at Kings odds, spread, & more
Prediction
- Pick ATS: Kings (+ 6.5)
- Pick OU:
Over (228.5) - Prediction:
Bucks 116 – Kings 115
Moneyline
- The Bucks have won 56.2% of the games this season when they were the moneyline favorite (9-7).
- Milwaukee has gone 3-3 when playing as a moneyline favorite with odds of -244 or shorter (winning 50%).
- The Bucks have an implied moneyline win probability of 70.9% in this matchup.
- This season, the Kings have been the underdog 32 times and won six, or 18.8%, of those games.
- This season, Sacramento has won five of its 20 games, or 25%, when it is the underdog by at least +200 on the moneyline.
- The implied probability of a win by the Kings based on the moneyline is 33.3%.
Against the spread
- The Bucks average 113.3 points per game, 9.2 fewer points than the 122.5 the Kings allow.
- Milwaukee has a 4-2 record against the spread and a 4-2 record overall when scoring more than 122.5 points.
- When it scores more than 116 points, Sacramento is 9-3 against the spread and 6-6 overall.
- Milwaukee’s record is 9-0 against the spread and 7-2 overall when it allows fewer than 110.6 points.
- The Bucks are at the 26th spot in the NBA’s scoring charts (113.3 PPG), while the Kings allow the 27th-fewest points per game (122.5) in the league.
- The 28th-ranked scoring NBA team (110.6 PPG) is Sacramento, while the Milwaukee squad ranks 14th in the league defensively (116 PPG).
- The Bucks have been out-scored by 96 points this season (2.7 points per game on average), and opponents of the Kings have out-scored them by 414 more points on the year (11.9 per game).
Over/Under
- Milwaukee’s average implied point total this season is 0.3 fewer points than its implied total in Sunday’s game (117.7 implied points on average compared to 118 implied points in this game).
- So far this season, Milwaukee has scored more than 118 points in 10 games.
- The average implied point total on the season for Sacramento (121) is 10 more points than the team’s implied total in this matchup (111).
How to watch Bucks vs. Kings
Watch this game on Fubo!
Crash investigation at 60th and Vliet
MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee man was pronounced dead at the scene of a crash at 60th and Vliet on Saturday morning.
What we know:
It happened at around 11:50 a.m. The Wauwatosa Police Department said investigators determined an SUV was headed west on Vliet Street when it ran a red light at a “high rate of speed,” collided with another vehicle and then hit a tree.
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A 71-year-old Milwaukee man, who was the driver and sole occupant of the SUV, died at the scene.
The Wauwatosa Fire Department, Milwaukee Fire Department and Milwaukee Police Department assisted with the crash response. At Vliet Street, 60th Street is the municipal boundary between Milwaukee and Wauwatosa.
What we don’t know:
Wauwatosa police said details of the crash remain under investigation. Police did not say whether anyone was in the other vehicle that was struck.
The Wisconsin State Patrol is assisting the Wauwatosa Police Department with the investigation.
The Source: FOX6 News went to the scene of the crash and received information from the Wauwatosa Police Department.
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