The list of players for the Milwaukee Bucks in street clothes for the regular-season finale against the Detroit Pistons was so lengthy that it probably made people do the math and wonder if the Bucks actually would have enough guys to take the court.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez, Kevin Porter Jr., Taurean Prince, Jericho Sims, Gary Trent Jr., Ryan Rollins and Bobby Portis all weren’t in uniform.
No matter. The Bucks’ remaining veterans, namely Pat Connaughton, combined with the team’s end-of-the-bench players to earn a 140-133 victory in overtime on Sunday afternoon at Fiserv Forum.
The Bucks enter the playoffs on an eight-game winning streak. Milwaukee was already locked into the No. 5 seed and a matchup with the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the NBA playoffs, so there was no incentive to play all of the rotation players.
BOX SCORE:Bucks 140, Pistons 133 (overtime)
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Antetokounmpo even had two of his children on the bench in the first half, indicating the zero stakes of the game.
They had a front-row seat for Jamaree Bouyea, a two-way player for the Bucks, get his first NBA start … and then make the first basket of the game.
Kyle Kuzma, the only Milwaukee starter to play in the game, took over from there with 22 points in the first quarter. He made 5 of 7 three-pointers. Kuzma’s night was done after playing all 12 minutes of the first quarter.
The Bucks also got a lift from Connaughton, who added 13 points in the first quarter. That gave him a season high, and Connaughton had 19 in the first half.
The Bucks went into the break with a 71-55 lead. They hit 14 of 24 three-pointers in the first half, led by Connaughton’s 4-for-5 performance.
Connaughton remained in the game in the second half with the Bucks’ young players.
When Connaughton dropped in a layup with just under six minutes left in the third quarter, it gave him 25 points. That topped his previous career high of 24 set during the opening game of the 2017-18 season when Connaughton was with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Pistons came back in the fourth quarter and the teams jockeyed back and forth for lead.
Connaughton’s dunk with just under three minutes remaining gave the Bucks a 114-112 advantage.
After Ron Harper Jr. made two free throws to tie the game for the Pistons, the Bucks’ Pete Nance – another two-way player – hit a push shot and then Connaughton made back-to-back layups.
But the Pistons fought back to tie the game at 123-123 on a three-pointer by Lindy Waters III in the waning seconds.
Connaughton had the first five points of overtime. He finished with 43 points and 11 rebounds.
Nance added 19 points in his first NBA start, three points shy of his career total over two seasons.
Kyle Kuzma hits bonuses by playing vs. Pistons
Kuzma had a reason to play in that first quarter.
He appeared in his 65th game of the season, and it was an important marker for the 29-year-old as he qualified for several bonuses in his contract.
Kuzma initially waived $6.5 million of a $7.5 million trade kicker to come to the Bucks in a multi-team deal in February, a decision that ultimately helped the Bucks not only get under the restrictive second apron but also acquire Porter Jr. and Sims and sign Rollins to a guaranteed deal.
“I’ve been a winner my whole life and I just want to feel that feeling as much as possible and obviously when you have a team with big salary guys and a bunch of people making a lot of money, every kind of penny counts,” Kuzma told the Journal Sentinel earlier in the season about waiving that much of his trade kicker. “It’s not about me at all. Money comes and goes. I’ll make it again.”So by playing Sunday, as opposed to sitting out to manage any injury issues, Kuzma hit the following bonuses:
- $300,000 for the Bucks making the playoffs.
- $300,000 for the Bucks having a team net rating greater than or equal to 1.5.
He is also eligible to make another $300,000 if the Bucks make the finals and he plays in at least 75% of the playoff games.
Kuzma did not reach any of his individual bonuses for the season.
The bonuses he did (or could) earn will factor into the Bucks’ luxury tax bill that will be calculated at the end of the season. All of Kuzma’s potential bonuses are counted toward the Bucks’ apron totals, however, which is another reason why waiving the bulk of his trade kicker was an important decision for the team.
– Jim Owczarski
Will Giannis play?
No. Giannis Antetokounmpo was listed as doubtful on the injury report with left shoulder tendinopathy, and Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said the two-time NBA MVP will not play in the game.
Who else is out?
Rivers said the four other players listed as doubtful – Kevin Porter Jr., Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. – would also not play. Ryan Rollins – listed as questionable – will also not play.
So who does that leave?
Rivers said Kyle Kuzma would play, and the Bucks later said that AJ Green would go today.
Eastern Conference playoff picture
The entire league is playing on Sunday, but the playoff seeds are already set in the Eastern Conference.
- No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Play-in team
- No. 4 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks
- No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Play-in team
- No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Detroit Pistons
Bucks injury report
- Damian Lillard, out (right calf deep vein thrombosis)
- Jericho Sims, out (right thumb surgery)
- Brook Lopez, out (rest)
- Bobby Portis, out (rest)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, doubtful (left shoulder tendinopathy)
- AJ Green, doubtful (right AC joint sprain)
- Kevin Porter Jr., doubtful (right wrist sprain)
- Gary Trent Jr, doubtful (right knee contusion)
- Taurean Prince Jr., doubtful (right patella tendinopathy)
- Ryan Rollins, probable (left shoulder management)
- Kyle Kuzma, probable (right ankle management)
Bucks starting lineup
- Guards: Jamaree Bouyea, AJ Green
- Forwards: Kyle Kuzma, Pat Connaughton
- Center: Pete Nance
Bucks vs. Pistons odds, over/under
Detroit is a 9.5-point favorite over Milwaukee, with the over/under set at 224.5 points per BetMGM.
What channel is the Bucks game on?
It will be broadcast locally on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin with Lisa Byington, Marques Johnson, and Melanie Ricks on the call. It is also on ESPN with Mark Jones, Tim Legler and Cassidy Hubbarth.
What time is the game today?
It is an early start at noon today.
