The Milwaukee Bucks are staring down an ugly 0-3 record after dropping a 127-116 game to the Philadelphia 76ers, a scoreline that honestly felt way tighter than it reads. This wasn’t some blowout. This was a battle, even if the final numbers don’t totally show it.
First Quarter Fights and Maxey’s Magic
Philly came out hot, with Dean Wade draining an opening three off a Tyrese Maxey assist, and the Sixers quickly jumped to a 12-3 lead. The Bucks couldn’t buy a bucket early, getting solid looks but just bricking ’em. Still, they clawed their way back to within a single possession by the first timeout, thanks to Jaime Jaquez Jr. putting back a missed Ryan Rollins jumper. Midway through the first half, rookie Nate Ament made his debut, replacing Kyle Kuzma, and snagged his first NBA point at the free throw line. Philly stretched their lead to 11, but Kuzma threw down a heck of a contact dunk over Adem Bona, briefly silencing Xfinity Mobile Arena. Then, Maxey did what Maxey does, closing the quarter with a ridiculous half-court buzzer-beater. Of course he did! Philly took a 34-25 lead into the second.
The Bucks Find Their Rhythm, Then Philly Rips It Back
Milwaukee came out swinging in the second quarter. Brayden Burries and AJ Green hit back-to-back triples, cutting the Sixers’ lead to just one. Before you knew it, the game was tied at 37, and Rollins gave Milwaukee their first lead with a transition bomb. Kel’el Ware absolutely threw down a monster jam to push their lead to five. He was looking real solid against Bona down low, no doubt. But rookie Ament got into foul trouble early in the second, picking up four, and you could tell Philly’s physicality was a tough ask for him. These Bucks, though, they stayed gritty. With under four to go in the half, they were up by six, consistently hitting their spots and getting buckets at the rim, even when the three-ball wasn’t falling. And just like you’d expect, Philly wasn’t going to roll over. A Jabari Walker and-one and a Jaylen Brown corner three with just 12 seconds left put the Sixers back up by six. Ware hit a pair of free throws to trim Philly’s lead to 64-60 at the half.
Close Call Until The Finish Line
Milwaukee came out absolutely blazing in the third, with Tyler Herro draining a pull-up three in transition to snag a 67-66 lead just 90 seconds into the half. After that, it was a proper slugfest, trading blows back and forth. The game felt genuinely tight until the bitter end, despite the final 11-point difference. Jaquez Jr. led the Bucks with a solid 21 points, plus eight rebounds and four assists in his 27 minutes on the floor. Ware put up 19 points, 13 boards, and two blocks, showing that “solid in the paint” game. Rollins added 15 points and three assists. Herro’s red-hot start to the season cooled off a bit, he ended with 13 points on 6/14 shooting in 31 minutes. For the LeBron James-less Sixers, it was Joel Embiid with 28, Jaylen Brown with 27, and Tyrese Maxey dropping 26 that ultimately sealed the deal.
The Bucks are now sitting at 0-3, and while they fought hard and made this game feel much closer than the final tally, they still need to find that first win. It’s early, but that record is a tough pill to swallow. They gotta figure out how to close these out and get on the right side of the scoreboard next time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Brew Hoop.
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