Bucks Vs. Spurs Player Grades: Trent Has Throwback Game In Beatdown By Red-hot Spurs

Missing Giannis Antetokounmpo and most other major contributors, the Milwaukee Bucks got what was expected against a superior team with its full roster available, losing to the San Antonio Spurs 127-95. This loss eliminates them from playoff contention. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

Player Grades

Gary Trent Jr.

26 minutes, 18 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 8/11 FG, 2/4 3P, -9

With so much scoring sitting out, someone had to step in to fill the bucket. Trent Jr. was that guy, dropping 18 points—two short of his season high—and showing flashes of the player whose dead-eye shooting and stellar decision-making endeared him to fans down the stretch last season. He came to play and showed a confidence in his shot that’s been lacking in this lost season.

Grade: A-

Jericho Sims

22 minutes, 10 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 5/7 FG, 6/10 3P, -5

Sims continues to show promising growth while logging bigger minutes filling in for the team’s injured bigs. He hit a non-dunk, non-putback jumper, a rarity for him. He gobbled up five boards on both the defensive and offensive boards. He “led” the team with a -5, a significant achievement in a 32-point blowout.

Grade: A

Ryan Rollins

25 minutes, 12 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 5 turnovers, 1 steal, 5/15 FG, 0/7 3P, -18

It’s a sign of Rollins’ development that he can have a modestly positive effect on a game even when he’s way off his best form. He was ice-cold from 3-point range, missing all 7 of his triples. His five turnovers led the team, symptomatic of a player going too fast and losing control. But they also tell a story of a guy with a high motor who’s consistently probing the defense and looking for good looks for himself and his mates.

Grade: C+

Taurean Prince

26 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 0 assists, 2/8 FG, 1/6 3P, -29

Not much to like here. Prince’s three-point woes would be a headline most days, except that today his teammate (Rollins) outdid him. But no one on the squad can compete with his -29, or would want to. That stat can mislead, but in this case, it felt pretty accurate.

Grade: D

Ousmane Dieng

36 minutes, 12 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 5/14 FG, 1/4 3P, -16

Dieng played well in flashes, finding teammates for open looks and playing solid D. But his shot was off, and his overall impact left plenty to be desired.

Grade: C-

Pete Nance

30 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 2/3 FG, 1/2 3P, 3 assists, 4 turnovers, -22

Nance never quite got booted up in this game. He wasn’t actively bad, but he wasn’t doing much to contribute positively either. Hard to stomach the low numbers given the high minutes.

Grade: C-

Myles Turner

28 minutes, 15 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 5/12 FG, 4/9 3P, -28

Turner’s -28 looks brutal, but the eye test was kinder. He was a big part of a defense that held Wemby sort of in check, as much as that’s possible. And he found his range from deep, making impact triples at the start of both halves.

Grade: B–

AJ Green

27 minutes, 7 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2/6 FG, 2/6 3P, -18

Another mostly no-show game for Green when the team most needed a lift. BUT: two blocked shots! The research team is hard at work digging this up, but we’re going to bet that AJ has gone entire seasons without two rejections. All-Defensive team nod incoming?

Grade: C+

Andre Jackson Jr.

14 minutes, 11 points, 1 rebound, 4/9 FG, 3/7 3P, -16

Ajax scored efficiently, exciting the crowd with back-to-back triples (and nearly back-to-back-to-back) during a brief third-quarter run when it looked like they might have a chance. While his scoring was efficient and his shooting was far less woeful than his teammates’, his overall impact was meh at best.

Grade: C+

Limited Minutes: Cormac Ryan

Inactive: Antetokounmpos (Giannis, Alex, Thanassis), Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma, Kevin Porter Jr.

Bonus Bucks Bits

• One “win”: the Bucks didn’t give up two triple-doubles. Stephon Castle got his, and Wemby was close. It was more a statement of boredom with a long-ago decided game that the French Phenom didn’t go all-out to get the needed extra assists to pad his stats.
• As mentioned, this 44th loss seals Milwaukee’s fate: they will miss the postseason for the first time since 2016.

Up Next

The Bucks are right back at it tomorrow, Sunday, March 29, for a home game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Catch the action at 2:30 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.