Inside The Spurs

Victor Wembanyama, Spurs Overpowered by Bucks in 3rd Straight Loss

The San Antonio Spurs couldn't quite find their rhythm on the road as they dropped their third straight game — this time to 7-foot superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Matt Guzman

Jan 8, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) holds the ball away from Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the second quarter at Fiserv Forum.
Jan 8, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) holds the ball away from Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the second quarter at Fiserv Forum. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

SAN ANTONIO — For the first time in over a month, Victor Wembanyama had an off night.

The San Antonio Spurs, in the middle of a four-game road trip they hoped would bear more fruit than the one they embarked on over Christmas, dropped their third straight game against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, 121-105.

A trio of Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Brook Lopez paved the way for the Bucks, finishing with a combined 73 points. Lopez connected from beyond the arc five times and Lillard four, while Antetokounmpo grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out eight assists.

Meanwhile, Wembanyama scored just 10 points on 4-for-10 shooting and two 3s — relatively low, by his standards — though he did manage to convert a one-footed 3-pointer and put on a show against his Eastern Conference rival.

From the jump, the Spurs played competitively with the Bucks and managed to fall behind by only four points at the end of the first quarter. Keldon Johnson produced well from the bench, finishing with 24 points on the night, but his efforts were offset by A.J. Green and Gary Trent Jr.

At halftime, that was clear. The Bucks took a 19-point lead to the locker room and for the entirety of the second half, that number only dropped to single digits once in the third quarter as San Antonio ultimately fell short.

With the loss, the Spurs are back below .500 for the first time since Dec. 6, 2024 and fall out of the In-Season Tournament as their road trip continues.

READ MORE: Battles with Jokić Offer Lessons for Wembanyama

Next up for them is a trip to Los Angeles for a pair of games against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Currently, tipoff for Game 1 is set for Saturday at 9:30 p.m. Central.

Stay tuned for potential changes due to the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires.

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Battles with Jokić Offer Lessons for Victor Wembanyama

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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