The Milwaukee Bucks came into the 2025-26 season with championship hopes, bringing Giannis back, but they're now stuck in the middle of a six-game losing streak and sitting at 8-11 on the year.

Their latest defeat came Wednesday night in South Beach, where the Miami Heat held off Milwaukee 106-103 in an NBA Cup Group C matchup that ended the Bucks' undefeated streak in group play dating back to 2023.

Doc Rivers Explains His Final Possession Gamble

After the game, head coach Doc Rivers addressed the biggest question on everyone's mind—why didn't Milwaukee call a timeout on the final possession with a chance to tie?

"I loved it. Loved the call. Would do it again," Rivers said when asked about the decision. "Instead of letting them set their defense, we had them on their heels."

Ryan Rollins pushed the ball in transition and found Myles Turner on the wing, but Turner's contested three-pointer with 5.7 seconds remaining bounced away, sealing the loss.

Rivers' reasoning made sense on some level—handing Erik Spoelstra a timeout to design coverage for his shooters would have played right into Miami's hands.

Struggling Without Giannis

The Bucks have now lost four straight games without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who sat out his fourth consecutive contest with a strained left adductor.

Before the injury, the two-time MVP was putting up historic numbers, averaging more than a point per minute while chasing his third straight season averaging 30-plus points on 60 percent shooting from the field—something nobody else in NBA history has ever done once, let alone twice.

Rivers acknowledged the difficulty of playing without their franchise player but tried to find a silver lining.

"Even when he's playing there's a stretch where he's not on the floor that we still have to master and we have not this year yet," Rivers said. "So, I still think in the long run this stretch will be good for us."

Rollins and Turner Step Up

Despite the loss, Milwaukee got impressive performances from a couple of role players who have been carrying the load during Giannis' absence.

Rollins poured in 26 points while Turner added 24 as the Bucks trimmed a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit and nearly pulled off the comeback.

Rollins has emerged as a legitimate breakout candidate this season, and he's putting up numbers that are earning him Most Improved Player consideration.

He's averaging 18.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game while shooting efficiently from the field. For a player who entered the year as a little-known backup, that kind of production is remarkable.

Turner, meanwhile, continues to provide Milwaukee with the floor-spacing big man presence they needed after losing Brook Lopez.

He's contributing 12.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 41.5 percent from three-point range, giving the Bucks much-needed spacing even when Giannis returns.

NBA Cup Implications

The loss means Milwaukee can no longer win Group C outright, dropping the defending NBA Cup champions to 2-1 in tournament play.

The Bucks face the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Friday in their final group stage game, and a win could still give them a chance at the wild card spot depending on other results around the East.

For now, Rivers and the Bucks need to figure out how to stop the bleeding before Giannis returns.

Their next few games will test whether this group can hold things together until their franchise cornerstone is back on the floor.