The Milwaukee Bucks cannot seem to catch a break right now, and even the return of their superstar wasn't enough to stop the bleeding. After falling 118-109 to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, Milwaukee has now lost seven straight games in what has become their longest losing streak since Giannis Antetokounmpo's rookie season back in 2014.

Kuzma Hints at Reinforcements Coming

Following the tough loss to the Knicks, forward Kyle Kuzma offered a glimmer of hope for Milwaukee fans when speaking to reporters.

"We get Scoot back tomorrow, hopefully," Kuzma told reporters after the game.

Scoot, which is the nickname for guard Kevin Porter Jr., underwent meniscus surgery on November 3 and was expected to miss about a month.

If Kuzma's comments prove true, Porter would be returning a few days ahead of schedule for Saturday's matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, which could give Milwaukee a much-needed boost during this rough stretch.

What's Behind Milwaukee's Slide?

The Bucks have struggled mightily throughout this losing streak, and injuries have played a big role. Giannis Antetokounmpo missed four games with a groin strain after going down against Cleveland on November 17, and Milwaukee went 0-4 without him in the lineup.

Porter has been out since early November recovering from knee surgery, and Taurean Prince has also been sidelined due to neck surgery.

Even with Giannis back on Friday night, posting 30 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in 28 minutes, the Bucks still came up short.

Turnovers, excessive fouls and giving up 22 second-chance points off 14 offensive rebounds all hurt Milwaukee's chances against a motivated Knicks squad playing at home.

Kuzma Steps Up Despite Team Struggles

While the team record has been ugly, Kuzma has provided some bright spots off the bench this season.

Against the Knicks, he turned in his most efficient game of the year with 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 from three-point range, all in just 28 minutes of action.

On the season, Kuzma is averaging 13.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game for Milwaukee, and he's been particularly effective when coming off the bench, where he averages 14.2 points per contest.

The 30-year-old forward has shown he can still contribute at a high level, but the Bucks need more consistency from the entire roster moving forward.

Where Things Stand Now

Milwaukee now sits at 8-12 on the season and has fallen to 11th in the Eastern Conference, putting them outside of the play-in picture.

The loss also eliminated the Bucks from NBA Cup contention, ending their hopes of defending last year's in-season tournament title.

Meanwhile, the Knicks improved to 12-6 with the win and sit comfortably in fourth place in the East.

Jalen Brunson led New York with 37 points, continuing his hot streak where he's averaged over 31 points per game in his last seven appearances.

The Bucks will look to finally snap this skid on Saturday when they host the Brooklyn Nets.

If Porter can return as Kuzma suggested, Milwaukee might have a real shot at ending this difficult stretch and starting to climb back up the standings before things get any worse.