After an emotional win on Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons, the Milwaukee Bucks couldn’t build on the momentum, as they lost their second game of the season to the Philadelphia 76ers. Bobby Portis led the Bucks with 22 points off the bench, while Kevin Porter Jr. had 20 points and nine assists. Quentin Grimes was the Sixers’ leading scorer with 22 points, while Paul George scored 20 points on 50% shooting from the field.
It didn’t take as long for the Bucks to hit double-figures as it did on Wednesday, with the three-ball working early. A 7-2 start by Philly flipped to a 9-2 run by Milwaukee, with Ryan Rollins hitting a three and Myles Turner hitting a pair. The pendulum swung back in the 76ers’ favor after a timeout from Nick Nurse with an 11-2 run to re-take the lead with 4:11 left. Philadelphia caught fire from beyond the arc, going 4/4 from that distance, as they built up a double-digit lead heading into the second quarter, 33-20.
Jabari Walker came into the game shooting 29% from the three-point line on 1.2 attempts per game. It didn’t seem to matter much to him, as he started the game 4/4 from deep. That helped the 76ers quickly build up an 18-point lead in the second quarter. Philly continued to pour it on, leading by as many as 26 points. The Bucks left three-point shooters wide open as the 76ers went 6/11 from deep in the quarter. Milwaukee tried making the halftime score look a little bit more respectable, but they still found themselves trailing Philly by 20, 69-49, heading into the locker room. AJ Green picked up a left shoulder contusion and did not return. Bucks turned the ball over 10 times in the first half and allowed the 76ers to score 17 points off of those.
The Bucks tried to mount the comeback from the free-throw line. They attempted six free throws (only going 3/6) and cut the lead down to 17 points. Paule George nailed an open three to put the lead back to 20 points, drawing a timeout from Doc Rivers. It was quite the quarter for Quentin Grimes, as he was responsible for 13 points over a stretch of 3 minutes and 21 seconds. He hit a couple of three-pointers and dished out three assists, keeping the Bucks from getting anywhere near their sizeable lead. The Bucks were able to get the game under 20 points heading into the fourth quarter, 93-77, after Kyle Kuzma made a tough layup in transition.
An unlikely player stepped up in the early stages of the fourth for the Bucks. In the midst of an unproductive stretch, Gary Trent Jr. hit a deep three while being fouled and then completed the four-point play to get the game within 12 points for Milwaukee. The Bucks had their chances to bring it within single digits, with open threes and chances on the offensive glass, but couldn’t break through. George went to work in isolation guarded by Sims, hitting back-to-back mid-range jumpers to put Philly up 14 with 5:49 to go. After going back and forth for a stretch, the Bucks did finally get the game within single digits with a Portis three, and after a steal had a chance to cut it even further. But Portis missed a contested layup and Tyrese Maxey came back the other way and hit a tough layup. Rookie V.J. Edgecombe nailed what ended up being the dagger three, after KPJ doubled George with Sims.
The Bucks got away with 15 turnovers on Wednesday against the Pistons, but Philadelphia made them pay tonight. Milwaukee had 16 turnovers, and the Sixers turned them into 21 points.