Milwaukee, WI

NBA’s Elite Expose Milwaukee Bucks As Paper Tigers

Published

12 months ago

March 10, 2025

NBA’s Elite Expose Milwaukee Bucks As Paper Tigers

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – MARCH 09: Damian Lillard #0 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives around Ty Jerome #2 … [+] of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half of a game at Fiserv Forum on March 09, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

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Breaking: It’s difficult to play against the NBA’s best teams. Just ask the Milwaukee Bucks.

Milwaukee dropped another game to an elite opponent on Sunday, falling 112-100 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was their second straight loss, their second game in as many nights, and, perhaps most notably, their fourth loss to Cleveland this season.

The Bucks briefly held an 8-7 lead after a Damian Lillard three with 9:58 remaining in the first quarter—but never led again. Meanwhile, Cleveland flirted with double-digit leads starting midway through the second quarter and never really looked back.

The win marked a season sweep for the Cavaliers, who took all four contests against the Bucks. It also continued Milwaukee’s season-long struggles against the NBA’s top teams.

According to Cleaning the Glass, Milwaukee is a grim 3-14 against teams with a top-ten point differential this season. For context, that’s tied for the fourth-fewest wins against such teams, only ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets, and Washington Wizards. Not exactly elite company.

The Bucks are being outscored by a staggering 13.6 points per 100 possessions in these games—good for 26th in the NBA.

Their defense, typically mediocre, falls apart against top-tier competition. They allow 114 points per 100 possessions overall, a middle-of-the-pack number. But against elite teams, that number jumps to 119.7, dropping them to 18th.

A big reason is pace. The Bucks struggle when teams push the ball in transition and force them to defend in space.

Their roster is built around size and rim protection, but they lack the collective foot speed and perimeter discipline to handle quick ball movement and elite playmakers. Opposing offenses carve them up, forcing breakdowns and exploiting mismatches.

The bigger problem, though, is offense.

Milwaukee averages 115.6 points per 100 possessions on the season, just above league average. Against top-ten teams? That figure plummets to 106.1—27th in the league. That’s not just bad; it’s bottom-of-the-barrel territory.

They don’t hit shots. They don’t rebound their misses. They don’t get to the free-throw line. If there were an official checklist of ways to make scoring as difficult as possible, the Bucks seem to be working through it diligently.

The fundamental issue, however, is playmaking—or a lack thereof.

Lillard and Antetokounmpo are the only two Bucks who can reliably create shots for themselves and others. The rest of the roster has been built to complement their skill sets, not to initiate offense independently.

That becomes a problem when Milwaukee’s offense grinds into isolation mode, as it so often does in tough games. The ball sticks, movement stalls, and the Bucks are left with five guys watching one player try to manufacture a miracle.

Defenses salivate at this setup.

They can key in on a predictable, stationary target, set their help, and force Milwaukee’s stars into a gauntlet of loaded rotations. Giannis can still power through defenders like a battering ram, but even he has limits when the entire defense is tilted toward stopping him.

The Bucks need answers—and fast.

Their March schedule is a gauntlet, with six more games against teams with top-ten point differentials. If recent trends hold, it could get ugly.

Captain Obvious here: If Milwaukee wants to win a championship, they’re going to have to figure out how to beat good teams.

Iron sharpens iron, and the Bucks need to embrace the grind. No magic wand is coming to fix their offensive structure, defensive woes, or crunch-time decision-making. They can either treat these March battles as a proving ground or risk entering the playoffs as an overpriced, overhyped paper tiger.

The talent is there. The question is whether the Bucks can find a way to make it all fit before it’s too late.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee judge calls out marijuana odor in courthouse

Published

3 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Milwaukee judge calls out marijuana odor in courthouse

A Milwaukee County judge on Thursday, Feb. 26, criticized the smell of marijuana inside the courthouse during a sentencing hearing, calling it inappropriate and illegal as visitors described the odor as common.

Posted February 26, 2026 9:30pm CST

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Bucks sign Cormac Ryan to two-way contract

Published

15 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Milwaukee Bucks sign Cormac Ryan to two-way contract

The Milwaukee Bucks signed guard Cormac Ryan to a two-way contract for the remainder of the regular season.
Ryan will be ineligible to play for the Bucks during the postseason.
Ryan averaged 20.4 points per game for the G League’s Wisconsin Herd, shooting 42.3% from three-point range.

The Milwaukee Bucks rewarded Cormac Ryan for his strong G League season with the Wisconsin Herd by signing him to a two-way contract. That will allow Ryan, 27, the chance to finish out the regular season with the Bucks. He would be ineligible for postseason play, however.

Ryan joins former Dominican High School star Alex Antetokounmpo and Pete Nance on two-way deals. The Bucks now have a completely full roster, with 15 guaranteed contracts as well.

Ryan was originally signed by the team in the summer, when he played in five summer league games, before inking a training camp contract. He appeared in two preseason games.

Ryan then played 29 games with the Herd and shot 42.3% from behind the 3-point line to average 20.4 points per game. He shot 48.9% from the field overall.

Ryan, a 6-foot-5 guard, played at Stanford (2018-19), Notre Dame (2020-23) and North Carolina (2023-24) before going undrafted. He averaged 10.4 points per game in college on 35.2% 3-point shooting. He made 40.7% of his 3-pointers in 2021-22 at Notre Dame.

He initially signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ryan did not make it out of training camp in 2024 but signed to the Thunder’s G League affiliate.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Bucks injury report: Is Giannis playing tonight vs. Cavs?

Published

2 days ago

February 25, 2026

Press Room

Milwaukee Bucks injury report: Is Giannis playing tonight vs. Cavs?

The Milwaukee Bucks have an opportunity to steal a victory from one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, they host the tired and diminished Cleveland Cavaliers tonight at Fiserv Forum.

Cleveland (37-22), in contention for a top three seed, beat the New York Knicks on Feb. 24 in Ohio. After flying into Milwaukee after the game, the Cavaliers ruled out MVP candidate Donovan Mitchell and reigning defensive player of the year Evan Mobley. All-star James Harden is questionable to play.

One player who will suit up for Cleveland is point guard Dennis Schröder, who was acquired at the deadline from Sacramento. The 32-year-old is often a thorn in the side of the Bucks, and he scored 24 points in a Kings victory over the Bucks early in the season.

The Bucks are also playing on the second night of a back-to-back, though they slept in their own beds after beating Miami at home. They have won seven of their last nine games.

Milwaukee (25-31) remains out of the postseason picture entirely, however, sitting in 11th place in the East.

The Bucks have beaten teams with winning records in consecutive games only twice this season, with wins over Golden State and New York (Oct. 28-30) and Orlando and Oklahoma City (Feb. 11-12).

And, the Bucks also have struggled against teams that do not have their stars. They lost twice to Denver without all-stars Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray (and even more starters), lost to Minnesota without all-stars Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert and even Portland without starters Jrue Holiday and Shaedon Sharpe. They also lost to Philadelphia twice without Joel Embiid and Paul George on a minute limit.

Is Giannis playing?

No.

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is still ramping up in his rehab from a Jan. 23 soleus strain in his right calf, which he self-diagnosed as a four- to six-week injury. Antetokounmpo has done “live” practice work with teammates and coaches after the team returned home from New Orleans beginning on Feb. 21.

Before the game against Miami, Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Antetokounmpo has not gone five-on-five but does not need to. Rivers also added the two-time MVP has not suffered any setbacks with the injury.

What is the Bucks record without Giannis?

10-16

Milwaukee is 15-15 when Antetokounmpo plays any number of minutes.

Cavaliers on hot streak since trading for James Harden

Cleveland, which was the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference last year with 64 wins, doubled down its roster heading into this season with the most expensive team in the NBA. But, as the trade deadline approached in early February, the team had fallen short of expectations. So, they began shedding salary and talent, most notably homegrown all-star guard Darius Garland.

They shipped the injured 26-year-old to the Los Angeles Clippers for 36-year-old all-star guard James Harden and received an immediate boost, winning five straight and six of seven heading into the game against the Bucks.

But Harden did suffer a fracture in his right (non-shooting) thumb against the Knicks on Feb. 24.

Harden has been solid since arriving in Cleveland, averaging 18.9 points on 48.8% shooting from behind the 3-point line while also averaging 8.0 assists. His presence has rejuvenated all-star center Jarrett Allen, who has averaged 20.4 points on 76.7% shooting since the point guard’s arrival. Before Harden joining the team, Allen averaged 13.9 points on 60% shooting in his first 40 games.

Taurean Prince, out (neck surgery)
Giannis Antetokounmpo, out (right calf strain)

Milwaukee Bucks probable starters

Guards: Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins, AJ Green
Forward: Kyle Kuzma
Center: Myles Turner

Cavaliers injury report

Max Strus, out (left foot surgery)
Donovan Mitchell, out (right groin strain)
Evan Mobley, out (left calf injury management)
James Harden, questionable (right thumb fracture)

What time is the Bucks game?

Tip-off is schedule for 7 p.m. CT.

What channel is the Bucks game on?

The game will be simulcast locally on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin and WMLW The M with Lisa Byington, Marques Johnson and Melanie Ricks on the call.