Ousmane Dieng looks back on his career night against the Houston Rockets.
The Milwaukee Bucks came up short against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, falling 119-113.
With their hopes of making the playoffs dead, the Bucks are playing for next season with guys competing to prove why they should be on the team, or any team, in 2026-27.
Ousmane Dieng has been a standout since being acquired by the Bucks at the NBA trade deadline, and he had his biggest game to date against the Rockets.
With only eight players available, Dieng played 45 minutes, tying a career high, and took a career high 31 shots, leading to a career high 36 points. He also established a new career high in assists with ten, and added seven rebounds.
Ousmane Dieng Speaks
After the game, Dieng spoke about his big night, saying, "I feel like I was just trying to stay in the moment. It's a long game. Just trying to stay in the moment, play after play."
Dieng noted that every game has its ups and downs.
Before joining the Bucks, Dieng spent three and a half seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, drafted 11th overall by the team in 2022. He saw limited minutes on the team as they ascended to the top of the NBA.
His previous career highs in points and assists happened in the same game as well when he had 22 points and nine assists on April 9, 2023 with the Thunder against the Memphis Grizzlies
Dieng finished Wednesday's game with seven rebounds, four short of his career high 11, which he achieved as a member of the Bucks against the Thunder on February 12.
Dieng On The Bucks
Though Dieng didn't come directly from Oklahoma City to Milwaukee -- he was first traded to Charlotte, then to Chicago, and finally to Milwaukee all in the span of 24 hours -- he has found new life with the Bucks.
Due to injuries and the team looking at future options now that the playoffs are out of the question, Dieng has started 14 of 24 games, averaging 25.5 minutes per game. He's made the most of his newfound playing time, averaging 10.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.
He's also shooting 43% from the field on 9.5 attempts and 37% from three on 4.4 attempts.
He's played a total of 613 minutes with the Bucks, already surpassing his highest total from any one season with the Thunder.
In a season that has gone sideways for many reasons in Milwaukee, Dieng has been a bright spot.