The Bucks fall into the trap of the Wizards

As they desperately need a victory, v Bucks he clearly had no room for error Washingtonagainst the worst team in the Eastern Conference. Especially sinceAlec Sarr (thigh) was missing for the capital franchise.

However, these are indeed Wizards who pulled a very nasty trick Milwaukee. He lags behind for a long time (up to -16), but he is never far behind his teammates from CJ McCollum (28 points) et Marvin Begley III (22 points, 9 rebounds) were therefore responsible for the turnover Giannis Antetokounmpo (26 points, 7 rebounds), Kevin Porter Jr. (30 points) and others in “money time”.

In the role of executioner? Chris Middletonan old Bucks acquaintance, the author of 8 of his 15 points in the final four minutes, also let CJ McCollum shine at the end. While Bilal Coulibaly was invaluable throughout the match, he helped slow down Giannis Antetokounmpo, who even dunked on the Frenchman in the final game.

Bilal Coulibaly steals and hits to put the Bucks away pic.tvitter.com/FngnKIlCKSJ

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) December 2, 2025

Bilal Coulibaly appears in defence

For the third win, the Washington players went for it anyway. At first stunned by the dominance inside Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the baskets of the 3-point shooters next to him, they managed to revive little by little, thanks to the contribution from the bench of the surprising Tristan Vukčević. The latter, well supported by the bouncing Cam Whitmore, multiplied positive and impactful entries into the game, only to wake up his men when they needed it most.

On the Bucks’ side, in addition to this inability to contain the opponent’s bench, not forgetting CJ McCollum, it should be emphasized that loose balls and poorly secured jumps offered too much additional ammunition to these Wizards, who did not ask so much to stay at a reasonable distance throughout the meeting. By being able to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo from drifting into the paint, with a monster job done by Bilal Coulibaly in particular (and Marvin Bagley III in support).

Until the final blow to “money time”, where the offensive talent of the McCollum/Middleton pair defeated Milwaukee, too dependent on his outside skill and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s ability to approach the circle (or convert his free throws…).

TO BE REMEMBERED

– The elders show the way to the young. In addition to the contributions of their replacements, especially Cam Whitmore and Tristan Vukcevic, or the defense of Bilal Coulibaly against Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Wizards can also thank CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton. The veterans are there to lead the pack at the end of the match and Brian Keefe must have appreciated seeing them on the job. Between Middleton’s 8 points in four minutes, like the good old days, or McCollum’s killer triple with 15 seconds left, they responded under pressure. And much earlier for McCollum, inspired from start to finish.

– Milwaukee was penalized. There is plenty of reason to be frustrated and disappointed for Doc Rivers, who has seen his men get eaten up in key areas: offensive rebounds, turnovers, points conceded in the paint. A brash three-point conversion (21/38!) long masked the shortcomings of a group that, like Giannis Antetokounmpo, wasn’t all that inspired on every end. One team wanted it more than the other on this night and it wasn’t Wisconsin, as the Bucks went into it with no reaction on defense in addition to being too predictable on offense. And let too many free throws slip away.

– Kevin Porter Jr. still injured ? While he was very good in just his second game at guard (coming off a knee injury), Kevin Porter Jr. was unable to return to the game for the final three minutes of the game due to back pain. His absence was felt in “money time” as it could have freed up Giannis Antetokounmpo more, and the Bucks will now hope that “KPJ” will be back in the next outing.

https://vvv.youtube.com/vatch?v=uViVKr8l_FM

How to read statistics? Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive jump; T = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = point difference when the player is on the court; Points = Points; Rating: player rating calculated based on positive actions – negative actions.