Bobby Portis in his first game back at Fiserv Forum on April 8, 2025.
The Milwaukee Bucks are catching fire at the right time and could be a complicated team to face in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Despite losing Damian Lillard for the rest of the regular season and not having Bobby Portis due to a 25-game suspension, Milwaukee has found a way to weather the storm and is trending in the right direction ahead of the postseason.
We can’t talk about Milwaukee and a comeback without analyzing what the team did Tuesday. They overcame a huge deficit to secure a 110-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at home. The Bucks were down by as much as 24 points in the final quarter, but led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who notched a 23-point, 13-rebound, 10-assist triple-double, the Bucks came through and escaped with the win. By the way, that was the Bucks’ fifth consecutive victory, and now they own a 45-34 record with three games left in the regular season.
During that five-game winning run, the Bucks were fifth in offensive rating (121.7), ninth in net rating (7.6), and first in true shooting percentage (63.8). They’re doing most of their damage on the offensive end of the court.
Not only did Milwaukee win its fifth straight game Tuesday, but this win also snapped Minnesota’s five-game winning streak by producing the Bucks’ biggest fourth-quarter comeback since at least 1996-97, when the NBA began tracking play-by-play data, according to ESPN. There are several angles to explain why the Bucks are trending in the right direction, but everything this team does lives and dies with Antetokounmpo, especially with Lillard sidelined.
The star forward has embraced a more significant role in the playmaking department, leaving whoever plays in the starting point guard role – either Ryan Rollins or Kevin Porter — to operate as a shooter. The results are there for everyone to see, and Antetokounmpo is on a roll with three straight triple-doubles. When healthy and at his best, “The Greek Freak” has an amazing case to be the best player in the Eastern Conference. With him leading the way, and with outstanding contributions from their role players, the Bucks could have all the tools to make a deep playoff run.
Speaking of role players, the duo of Porter and Rollins has proven to be a successful combo to replace Lillard. The former Trail Blazers star will return to the starting lineup as soon as he’s given the green light to do so, but these two players have been playing well. Rollins is averaging 11.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists during the Bucks’ winning run, while Porter is putting up 16.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.4 dimes per game while coming predominantly off the bench over the same stretch.
With the role players thriving, a supporting cast playing at a high level, and an inspired version of Antetokounmpo, the Bucks will definitely be a team no one wants to face in the upcoming 2025 NBA Playoffs.
