OKLAHOMA CITY – The Milwaukee Bucks ended the “first half” of the season on a high note and went into the all-star break feeling good after upsetting the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, 110-93, Feb. 12 at the Paycom Center.
Milwaukee won consecutive games for just the sixth time this season, and it is the first set of back-to-back victories against teams with winning records since Oct. 28-30 when they beat New York and Golden State at Fiserv Forum.
“It feels great!” Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr., told the Journal Sentinel with a smile. “It feels good. Obviously we still got a long season ahead. But, currently, right now, the vibe’s great, bro.
“The ball hopping. We’re having fun. We don’t care about who’s the leading scorer, who gets the most points, whatever that (expletive) is. We’re just trying to win games. And it’s been refreshing to see everybody lock in and commit to winning.
“So, like I said in my all interviews since the start, it’s a long season and we just want to peak at the right time. You want to be playing good basketball at the right time. March is almost here and that’s when you want to play it.”
The Bucks improved to 23-30 overall and have won five of six heading into the break. The Thunder dropped to 42-14 and it was just its sixth loss at home on the season.
“That’s what you saw tonight, the carry over from all of that, us focusing on the details,” Bucks acting head coach Darvin Ham said of the team’s recent mindset. “I’m happy for the guys, man. It’s a great, great feat. Being around this league long as I have it’s tough going into the break like this with a loss and you just gotta sit on that loss. I’m happy with everything we’ve gone through this year, I think we’re ready for this break and we’re gonna come out of it rested physically, focused mentally and with the right spirit to finish the year.”
The game lacked star power as the Bucks were without Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Thunder was without reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and all-NBA guard Jalen Williams, but Bucks put together one of their most consistent efforts on both sides of the floor to date.
BOX SCORE: Bucks 110, Thunder 93
They led at the end of every quarter and whenever the Thunder made some semblance of a push, the Bucks responded with key baskets and defensive stops. Milwaukee turned it over just eight times when the regulars were in the game, giving up just 13 additional points. The Thunder force over 17 per game, second-best in the NBA.
“If anything, you’ll take a field goal attempt over a turnover,” Ham said. “So, we talked about it pregame, this Oklahoma City Thunder, if you hold the ball two, three seconds too long, or take or three extra dribbles you shouldn’t take, they’re gonna punish you. They’re gonna make you pay for it. So, if you’re gonna do that you need to put the ball on the rim and the guys were in position – again, a big, huge offensive rebounding night for us – tonight they did that and guys went and got us extra possessions.”
When the regulars were in the game, the Bucks forced 16 turnovers and scored 19 points off those extra chances. The Bucks also pulled down 14 offensive rebounds for an additional 19 points.
Milwaukee was led by Bobby Portis Jr.’s 15 points, 12 rebounds and four steals off the bench while AJ Green had 17 with five made 3-pointers. Kevin Porter Jr. had 12 points, seven assists and three steals while Kyle Kuzma had 14.
The Thunder was led by Isaiah Joe’s 17 points while Chet Holmgren had 16 points, 13 rebounds and two blocked shots.
Ousmane Dieng returns to Oklahoma City, shines in start
Depending on the date of a trade (or a free agent departure) and which franchises were involved, some players wait a long time before returning “home” to their original team. Former Bucks all-star Khris Middleton was dealt to Washington on Feb. 5, 2025 and didn’t play in Milwaukee until Dec. 31. Myles Turner left Indiana as a free agent in the summer and played his first game in Indianapolis on Nov. 3.
Ousmane Dieng on the other hand, returned to Oklahoma City just a week after getting traded from the Thunder to Charlotte and then Chicago and then finally Milwaukee on Feb. 4-5.
All his personal effects are still Oklahoma City, and he almost walked into the home locker room out of instinct when he arrived at the Paycom Center with the Bucks on Feb. 12.
“It’s weird. It’s weird,” Dieng acknowledged to the Journal Sentinel. “I was in the home locker room a week ago. It’s really weird but I’m excited. It’s gonna be fun.”
Then, shortly before the start of the game, the 22-year-old found out he would be starting as Myles Turner was a late scratch with calf soreness.
“I was ready to play anyway, so if I start or come off the bench it don’t matter to me,” Dieng said after the game. “And yeah, I was just making the right play, play the simple way, just play basketball.”
Going up against the team that drafted him and teammates who know him so well, Dieng looked fired up. In scoring 19 points, he was decisive with his shot selection – at one point he took a defensive rebound coast-to-coast right into the chest of Thunder big man Jaylin Williams – and he also displayed his playmaking ability with six assists. He also had 11 rebounds.
“I mean, obviously a little bit,” Dieng said of having a little extra in the tank for his old team. “I spent four years here and didn’t play a lot, so obviously a little juice. But I still love OKC, I love the fans, I love the organization, I love my teammates I had there. It was great. It was fun.”
That performance followed up his Feb. 11 night against Orlando when he made a career-high five 3-pointers.
Bucks have rare big runs to set up win
The Bucks have been one of the league’s worst offenses for most of the season, and in particular when Giannis Antetokounmpo is off the floor. And, they are also one of the league’s bottom-tier defenses. So, it was notable that they put together a 14-0 run in the heart of the second quarter.
“I think that our zone really bothered them in the second quarter,” Portis said. “Kind of made their offense stagnant. Obviously they’re a great drive-and-kick, extra pass team. It’s funny, man, even when you’re elementary or middle school or high school, you throw a zone at people it’s like they kind of swing it around and they don’t get in attack mode anymore. I would say our zone was the big (factor) of the second quarter. Obviously we made shots and the defense was good but the zone was the thing that was very useful.”
The Bucks forced two turnovers in that stretch and capitalized with a pair of Bobby Portis 3-pointers. Two, 3-point plays by Kyle Kuzma allowed the Bucks to stretch that into a 17-2 bigger run that helped them build an 18-point lead at one point.
“I think it started on defense, making stop,” Dieng said. “I think the zone worked well against them. Just making stop and then running on the fast break and just moving the ball on offense.”
Then, in the third quarter, the Thunder cut the deficit to 71-64 before the Bucks closed on a 18-9 run. They held the Thunder without a field goal for over three minutes and Ousmane Dieng, Pete Nance and Bobby Portis hit big 3-pointers in that stretch to push the lead back to double digits.
Did you notice?
Guard Andre Jackson Jr. got some first quarter run off the bench for the Bucks, giving them an explosive three minutes of action that saw him help create a turnover on defense and then had a powerful tip slam that led to both teams having words with one another in front of the Bucks bench.
5 numbers
6:48: Consecutive minutes of game play to end the third quarter, as both head coaches did not use a timeout. The coaches then went another six full minutes of game play between timeouts in the fourth quarter.
5-3: Bucks record on the second night of back-to-backs.
11-21: Bucks record against teams with a .500 record or better on the day of the game.
19: Different starting lineups the Bucks have used this season after unveiling a new one vs. the Thunder.
85: Career double-doubles off the bench for Bobby Portis Jr. He is one behind Enes Freedom for second-most all-time.
AJ Green first Northern Iowa player to get jersey retired
While Thanasis and Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis Jr. head to the NBA all-star weekend in Los Angeles on Feb. 14-15, teammate AJ Green will be bound for Cedar Falls, Iowa as his No. 4 jersey from the University of Northern Iowa will be retired on Feb. 15.
It is the first number to be retired for the program, which has gone to the NCAA tournament eight times.
“I was shocked,” Green told the Journal Sentinel of the honor. “I had no idea it was coming. It’s an honor, because there’s so many people that went to UNI before me that should be up there, that paved the way for what UNI basketball is, how we go about things and took the program to the level that it is today.”
Green played for UNI from 2018-22 and was a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. The Panthers also won two MVC regular season titles with Green, who holds three school records and is in the top five in four other categories.
“So, I know I should not be the only one up there,” Green said. “There should be a lot of people up there that deserve to be up there. But it’s an honor to be the first.”
Myles Turner is a late scratch for Bucks
About a half hour before tip off, the Bucks ruled out center Myles Turner with soreness in his right calf. He had gone through his regular pregame shooting routine and looked no worse for wear initially. The game against the Thunder is only the third one in which Turner has missed this season.
After the game Darvin Ham said Turner was held out for precautionary reasons.
Darvin Ham will coach Bucks in place of Doc Rivers
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers left the team after the win in Orlando on Feb. 11 to attend a funeral, and Darvin Ham will serve as acting head coach against the Thunder.
“Long flight. So, 6:30 p.m. game here, so yeah, you have to be cognizant of what they (the players) need,” Ham said of his approach on a back-to-back. “And in my opinion, rest was number one, at the top of the list. Let them sleep in today and just try to come out and put as much energy into being competitive and together as possible.”
Per NBA stat keeping rules, the result of the game will count on Rivers’ record. Ham, who rejoined the Bucks staff at the start of the 2024-25 season, was the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach from 2022-24, compiling a 90-74 record.
Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing?
No.
The Bucks superstar will miss his seventh straight game with a strained soleus muscle in his right calf. He has been out since Jan. 23 with the injury.
What is the Bucks record without Giannis?
8-15
The Bucks are 15-15 if Antetokounmpo plays any number of minutes in a game.
Is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing?
No. The Bucks will not see the reigning league MVP, as he is out with an abdominal strain.
What time is the Bucks game?
Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. CT.
What channel is the Bucks game on?
The game is streaming exclusively on Prime Video, with Michael Grady, Brent Barry and Kristina Pink on the call.
Milwaukee Bucks injury report
Bucks probable starters
Is Giannis playing in the all-star game?
No. The team announced early Feb. 12 he would miss the game. He missed the exhibition last year due to a left calf strain, but he did “play” in 2023 when he sprained a wrist. He was on the court for a single possession, dunked the ball and then subbed out.
Bucks vs. Thunder odds
Oklahoma City is a 13.5-point favorite over Milwaukee, with the over/under set at 214.5 points per BetMGM.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks beat Thunder 110-93, go into all-star break winning five of six
Reporting by Jim Owczarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
