The Milwaukee Bucks stunned the Orlando Magic 116-108 on February 11, 2026, at the Kia Center, delivering a performance that blended grit, redemption, and a dash of history. For a team missing its superstar and facing long odds, the Bucks’ win was a much-needed jolt—especially coming against a Magic squad that had bested them just days earlier. And what a show it was: new faces stepped up, records were set, and a playoff-hungry roster reminded the league they’re not out of the fight yet.
Entering the contest, Milwaukee was reeling from a recent loss to Orlando that snapped their first three-game winning streak of the season. Without Giannis Antetokounmpo—out for the seventh straight game with a strained right calf—the Bucks had to dig deep. They came in as 10.5-point underdogs, their playoff chances hovering at a mere 1.3% according to ESPN analytics. Yet, none of that mattered once the ball tipped.
The Magic started hot, with Desmond Bane lighting it up from beyond the arc. Bane would finish with 31 points, hitting 8 of 11 from deep, and keeping Orlando in the hunt all night. But the Bucks countered with a balanced attack, and the story quickly became about the new guys making a splash. Cam Thomas, playing just his second game since signing as a free agent on February 8, erupted for 34 points off the bench in only 25 minutes. He showed why his reputation as a microwave scorer is well-earned, catching fire in the third quarter with 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
Thomas’s ability to create offense was exactly what Milwaukee needed, especially in the absence of injured guard Ryan Rollins. After a rocky start—missing his first few attempts and getting blocked on a pair of breakaway layups—Thomas found his groove. “A couple of those shots I always make,” Thomas explained after the game. “So it wasn’t really the defense necessarily. Obviously they have good defenders, physical defenders… but at the end of the day, I was just missing shots in the first quarter. But then just reading the spacing, just taking whatever they were giving me and just trying to execute and make every shot I can from getting good looks.”
Head coach Doc Rivers, who’s steered the Bucks through a rocky campaign, praised Thomas’s resilience and impact. “He came up huge tonight,” Rivers said. “We need him to be just that, ‘cause we need more scoring. We’ve been getting better on the defensive end but we still lack sometimes on the offensive end and trying to find ways to put the ball in the hole. So Cam is huge.”
But Thomas wasn’t the only new face making waves. Ousmane Dieng, acquired in a trade just days earlier, logged 23 minutes and set a career high with five made three-pointers. “I mean, just feeling like just playing the right way, take open shot, make open shot, just move the ball,” Dieng said. “Just play the right way and help the team win.” His shooting helped Milwaukee keep pace with Orlando, who themselves set a season high with 20 made threes.
Jericho Sims, meanwhile, continued his quiet breakout. The 22-year-old forward scored a career-high 17 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting night, going 5-for-5 from the free throw line, and pulled down 11 rebounds for his fifth career double-double. All of Sims’ field goals were at or above the rim, a testament to his athleticism and growing chemistry with teammates. “With ‘J-Rock,’ I think he’s starting to find out how explosive and how dangerous he really is with the roll,” Kevin Porter Jr. said. “His screens are just everything to us as a team. He’s doing the dirty work, offensive boards the last two games he’s been an animal.”
Speaking of Porter Jr., the Bucks’ guard delivered a triple-double, tallying 18 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds. He was the engine behind Milwaukee’s offense, orchestrating pick-and-rolls and finding open shooters. “I think collectively, we wanted it bad,” Porter said. “We never want a team to beat us twice, especially in back-to-back games, so we just matched their physicality for 48 minutes.”
Despite offensive lulls—Milwaukee went more than five minutes without a field goal in the first quarter and nearly three minutes without one in the fourth—the Bucks stayed afloat thanks to a historic night at the free throw line. They finished a perfect 24-for-24, a remarkable feat for a squad that entered as the league’s worst free throw shooting team at just 73%. Those points proved crucial, especially as the Magic clawed back in the final period.
With the game hanging in the balance, key plays swung the momentum. Myles Turner, who had been quiet offensively most of the night, hustled back to contest a Paolo Banchero dunk with under two minutes to play, leading to two Porter free throws and a 110-106 edge. Moments later, Turner splashed a three-pointer for a 113-108 lead, and Thomas delivered the final dagger with a deep three with just 20 seconds left.
Orlando, now 28-25 and still seventh in the Eastern Conference, fought valiantly. Jalen Suggs chipped in 16 points and 10 assists, while Mo Wagner provided a spark off the bench. But Milwaukee’s collective effort—especially from their newcomers—proved too much to overcome.
The Bucks improved to 22-30, still outside the playoff picture in 12th place, but this victory snapped a drought against winning teams (their first such win since January 9 against the Lakers) and injected new life into a campaign that’s been anything but predictable. “It’s a team that we could potentially see again later in the postseason, so we just wanted to make a statement tonight,” Sims told the Journal Sentinel.
Injuries continue to shape Milwaukee’s outlook. Besides Giannis, Taurean Prince (neck surgery) and Ryan Rollins (foot) were sidelined, with Pete Nance available despite a recent ankle sprain. As for Giannis, his All-Star status remains in limbo, though he’s yet to be officially replaced despite a self-diagnosed four-to-six-week recovery.
Looking ahead, the Bucks are set to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 12, hoping to build on the momentum from this statement win. Can the new faces keep up the magic? If Sunday night was any indication, Milwaukee’s not ready to fade away just yet.