ORLANDO, Fla. — The Milwaukee Bucks could not climb out of an early hole Friday night in Orlando, Fla., and lost 107-99 to the Magic, leaving the team from Milwaukee, Wis., with nine losses in a row.
Milwaukee is now 1-12. The Bucks managed only 14 points in the first quarter and added just three more over the first four minutes of the second, and the deficit reached 20 points not long after halftime.
The Bucks cut the gap in half four separate times. A basket by Jaime Jaquez Jr. with 1:50 left made it 100-91, and three free throws by Tyler Herro pulled Milwaukee within 102-94 soon after. Two straight turnovers by Kyle Kuzma ended the push.
Jaquez came off the bench to lead Milwaukee with 22 points, adding six boards and four assists, while Ryan Rollins grabbed 10 rebounds as a reserve. Herro scored 18 on 5-of-17 shooting, and Myles Turner posted a double-double.
Franz Wagner did the most damage for Orlando with 35 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds in 36 minutes in the NBA Cup group game. Desmond Bane added 21 and hit six of his 10 tries from 3-point range, five of them in the third quarter. Wagner finished with a plus-minus of plus-35, and Orlando pulled away again after he returned in the fourth quarter as Milwaukee had trimmed the lead to 11.
Free throws were a problem again. Milwaukee went 18 of 31 from the line, and it was the third time in four games the Bucks failed to reach 100 points. It is the team’s first season since trading Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 1974-75 Bucks were the last Milwaukee team to start this badly, opening 1-13. Herro stressed that the Bucks still need to play with urgency and cannot simply accept losing as they try to stop the slide.
Section: More Milwaukee WI sports news
Filed under: Milwaukee WI Sports News
