Bucks vs. Trail Blazers Final Score and Summary: Simons’ 28 knocks down Milwaukee

On January 7, 2025By Littum

The Milwaukee Bucks lost their fourth game in their last five to teams below .500 and now fall to 12-22 Portland Trail Blazers105-102. Giannis had 33 points and 11 rebounds and continues his streak of shooting over 50% from the field. Anfernee Simons scores 28 for the Trail Blazers in the win.

NBA.com Box Score

Summary of games

It was another slow start for the Milwaukee Bucks, falling behind 11-5 just five minutes into the game and missing six of their first eight shots from the field. After the initial hit by the Trail Blazers, the Bucks responded with a quick 7-3 run, bringing them back within two points and forcing a timeout from Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups. The two teams remained neck and neck with each other for the remainder of the quarter, with the Blazers only up by as much as five points. After a Bobby Portis layup brought them back within one, the Bucks scored the next seven points to take a two-point lead with 12 seconds left. Deni Avdija went coast-to-coast for a layup with five seconds left, but Damian Lillard did what he does best, drilling a buzzer-beating three to end the quarter with the Bucks up by three, 31-28.

It was safe to say that Milwaukee missed having AJ Green in the lineup, especially in the second quarter. The former two-way player got hot from beyond the arc, hitting three of the four threes he took during the frame. He even made up a three-pointer that was later disallowed because he stepped out of bounds (editor’s note: he didn’t look out of bounds, a costly potential mistake in a game decided by three). Neither side gained much of an edge, with the biggest lead being just four points by the Blazers. The Bucks would take a 51-49 lead with 59 seconds left, but a layup by Deandre Ayton and a three by Avdija with five seconds on the clock left the Bucks down by three going into the locker room, 54-49.

It was a rough start for Milwaukee to begin the second half. Portland started the third on a 12-6 run to balloon their lead to nine with 7:47 left in the quarter. After that, the Bucks slowly began to chip away at the lead for the rest of the stanza, starting with back-to-back buckets from Andre Jackson Jr. A 12-4 response by the Bucks over five minutes and 48 seconds brought the Bucks back within one point. Avdija wouldn’t have another chance to end the quarter with a basket as Ryan Rollins poked the ball away and barely put it in to beat the buzzer, giving the Bucks a 76-75 lead entering the fourth quarter.

After going up by one to begin the frame, things quickly turned against the Bucks. With 8:19 left, they were down seven after Avdija’s third three-pointer of the night. As has happened many times before, when Giannis entered the game, things changed for the Bucks as they went on a 10-2 run to give Milwaukee the lead back 94-93. Portland’s talented backcourt of Simons and Sharpe responded to give the Trail Blazers the lead back with a layup from Sharpe and Simons’ fifth three of the night. Those two buckets gave Portland a 98-94 lead with 3:54 left in the game. Things stayed together until there was 23.5 left on the clock when Simons hit an and-1 layup to give the Blazers a one-point lead, 103-102. After an initial pass was deflected with 16.2 on the clock, Lillard threw the next pass out of bounds on a miscommunication between him and Portis. Simons hit two more free throws and Dame’s last-second shot missed.

State that stood out

A play. That’s how much Brook Lopez has played in the fourth quarter of the Bucks’ last two contests. During their games against the Nets and Trail Blazers, the Bucks have opted to go with Bobby and Giannis at center in both games. He came in to try to rebound the second of Simon’s last-second free throws, but Simons hit both at the charity stripe.