Basketball fans in Milwaukee are having a rough January. Honestly, it’s been a slog. If you’re checking the milwaukee bucks basketball score lately, you’ve probably noticed a trend that isn’t exactly "fear the deer" material.
On Thursday night, January 15, 2026, the Bucks went into the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio and, frankly, got dismantled. The final was 119-101. It sounds like a typical mid-season loss, but the details tell a much uglier story. At one point in the third quarter, the Spurs were leading by nearly 40 points. You read that right.
The Current State of the Milwaukee Bucks Basketball Score
The Bucks are sitting at 17-24. That’s 11th in the Eastern Conference. For a team that entered the season with championship aspirations (preseason odds were +5500), being seven games under .500 in mid-January is basically a disaster.
They've lost three straight.
It wasn’t just the Spurs game, either. Two nights before that, they were at home in Fiserv Forum and got embarrassed by the Minnesota Timberwolves, 139-106. The home crowd actually booed them off the court. It’s rare to hear that in Milwaukee, but when you give up nearly 140 points at home, people lose patience.
Breaking Down the Loss to San Antonio
Looking at the box score from the 119-101 loss to the Spurs, a few things jump out:
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- Giannis Antetokounmpo had 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, but he only played 22 minutes.
- Kevin Porter Jr. had a night he'd probably like to delete from his memory: 0 points on 0-of-9 shooting in 23 minutes.
- Ryan Rollins and Bobby Portis tried to keep things respectable, but the game was over by halftime.
Victor Wembanyama had an injury scare in the first quarter but came back to drop 22 and 10. The Spurs basically toyed with the Milwaukee defense. Doc Rivers and his staff are looking for answers, but right now, the defensive rotations look like they're moving through molasses.
Why the Scoreboard Doesn't Tell the Whole Story
Scores are just numbers, but the "how" matters. The Bucks' offensive rating has plummeted to 23rd in the league. They are averaging about 112.4 points per game, which sounds okay until you realize the rest of the NBA is scoring at a historic clip.
Their defense is worse.
They are giving up 115.8 points per game. When your "Net Rating" is -3.4, you aren't just losing close games; you're getting outplayed consistently.
Injuries and Roster Churn
You can't talk about the milwaukee bucks basketball score without talking about the health of the roster. Giannis has been battling a sprained left ankle. He played against the Spurs, but he didn't look like the "Greek Freak" we're used to seeing.
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The lineup has been a bit of a revolving door. We've seen more of Ryan Rollins and AJ Green than anyone expected. Damian Lillard has been missing from recent box scores due to personal reasons and minor injuries, which leaves a massive hole in the perimeter scoring.
Comparing This Season to Last Year
Last year, on January 17, 2025, the Bucks beat the Toronto Raptors 130-112. Giannis had 30 points. The team looked cohesive. Fast forward exactly one year, and the vibe is completely different.
Back then, they were 22-17. Now, they are 17-24.
That’s a five-game swing in the wrong direction. The depth that used to be a strength—guys like Bobby Portis coming off the bench—now feels stretched thin. Portis has been shifted back to the bench recently to try and spark the second unit, but even his 13 points against the Spurs weren't enough to bridge the gap.
What’s Next on the Schedule?
If you're hoping for an easy fix, the schedule isn't doing any favors.
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- Monday, Jan 19: At Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks are also fighting for a play-in spot (20-22), making this a "desperation bowl."
- Wednesday, Jan 21: Home vs. Oklahoma City Thunder. This one is on ESPN, and honestly, the way OKC is playing (35-8), the Bucks are going to need a miracle to keep the score close.
- Friday, Jan 23: Home vs. Denver Nuggets. Facing Nikola Jokic while the defense is struggling is a nightmare scenario.
The Reality of the Eastern Conference Standings
The Pistons are surprisingly leading the East at 28-10. The Knicks and Celtics are right behind them. The Bucks are currently looking up at teams like the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks.
To even make the Play-In tournament, Milwaukee has to leapfrog at least one team. To get a guaranteed playoff spot (Top 6), they need to go on a massive run. We're talking 15-5 over their next 20 games just to get back into the conversation.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you are tracking the milwaukee bucks basketball score for betting or just general fandom, keep an eye on these specific metrics over the next two weeks.
- First Quarter Totals: The Bucks have been falling behind early. If they don't win the first quarter against Atlanta, expect another long night.
- The Lillard Factor: Check the injury report two hours before tip-off. Without Dame, the floor spacing disappears, and teams just wall off the paint against Giannis.
- Defensive Rebounding: In the loss to Minnesota, they gave up too many second-chance points. If Myles Turner and Giannis aren't cleaning up the glass, the score will spiral quickly.
Stop looking at the final score as a fluke. This is who the team is right now. They are a struggling veteran squad with a defense that can't stop penetration. Unless Jon Horst makes a move before the trade deadline, or Doc Rivers finds a way to tighten the defensive screws, the scores you see in the morning papers aren't going to get much prettier.
Watch the Atlanta game closely on Monday. It’s a 1:00 PM ET tip-off on Peacock. If they drop that one, the panic button in Milwaukee won't just be pushed—it might be broken.