MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – MARCH 09: Damian Lillard #0 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives around Ty Jerome #2 … [+] of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half of a game at Fiserv Forum on March 09, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
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Breaking: It’s difficult to play against the NBA’s best teams. Just ask the Milwaukee Bucks.
Milwaukee dropped another game to an elite opponent on Sunday, falling 112-100 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was their second straight loss, their second game in as many nights, and, perhaps most notably, their fourth loss to Cleveland this season.
The Bucks briefly held an 8-7 lead after a Damian Lillard three with 9:58 remaining in the first quarter—but never led again. Meanwhile, Cleveland flirted with double-digit leads starting midway through the second quarter and never really looked back.
The win marked a season sweep for the Cavaliers, who took all four contests against the Bucks. It also continued Milwaukee’s season-long struggles against the NBA’s top teams.
According to Cleaning the Glass, Milwaukee is a grim 3-14 against teams with a top-ten point differential this season. For context, that’s tied for the fourth-fewest wins against such teams, only ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets, and Washington Wizards. Not exactly elite company.
The Bucks are being outscored by a staggering 13.6 points per 100 possessions in these games—good for 26th in the NBA.
Their defense, typically mediocre, falls apart against top-tier competition. They allow 114 points per 100 possessions overall, a middle-of-the-pack number. But against elite teams, that number jumps to 119.7, dropping them to 18th.
A big reason is pace. The Bucks struggle when teams push the ball in transition and force them to defend in space.
Their roster is built around size and rim protection, but they lack the collective foot speed and perimeter discipline to handle quick ball movement and elite playmakers. Opposing offenses carve them up, forcing breakdowns and exploiting mismatches.
The bigger problem, though, is offense.
Milwaukee averages 115.6 points per 100 possessions on the season, just above league average. Against top-ten teams? That figure plummets to 106.1—27th in the league. That’s not just bad; it’s bottom-of-the-barrel territory.
They don’t hit shots. They don’t rebound their misses. They don’t get to the free-throw line. If there were an official checklist of ways to make scoring as difficult as possible, the Bucks seem to be working through it diligently.
The fundamental issue, however, is playmaking—or a lack thereof.
Lillard and Antetokounmpo are the only two Bucks who can reliably create shots for themselves and others. The rest of the roster has been built to complement their skill sets, not to initiate offense independently.
That becomes a problem when Milwaukee’s offense grinds into isolation mode, as it so often does in tough games. The ball sticks, movement stalls, and the Bucks are left with five guys watching one player try to manufacture a miracle.
Defenses salivate at this setup.
They can key in on a predictable, stationary target, set their help, and force Milwaukee’s stars into a gauntlet of loaded rotations. Giannis can still power through defenders like a battering ram, but even he has limits when the entire defense is tilted toward stopping him.
The Bucks need answers—and fast.
Their March schedule is a gauntlet, with six more games against teams with top-ten point differentials. If recent trends hold, it could get ugly.
Captain Obvious here: If Milwaukee wants to win a championship, they’re going to have to figure out how to beat good teams.
Iron sharpens iron, and the Bucks need to embrace the grind. No magic wand is coming to fix their offensive structure, defensive woes, or crunch-time decision-making. They can either treat these March battles as a proving ground or risk entering the playoffs as an overpriced, overhyped paper tiger.
The talent is there. The question is whether the Bucks can find a way to make it all fit before it’s too late.
