The Milwaukee Bucks’ season took another tough turn on March 29, 2026, as they dropped their fourth consecutive game, falling 127-113 to the Los Angeles Clippers at Fiserv Forum. With the Bucks now having lost 14 of their last 17 contests, the story of the day wasn’t just about the scoreboard, but also about resilience, depleted rosters, and the swirling questions about the franchise’s future.
Heading into the matchup, the Bucks’ injury report read like a laundry list: Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee hyperextension and bone bruise), Gary Harris (personal reasons), Kevin Porter Jr. (right knee synovitis), Bobby Portis Jr. (left wrist sprain), Thanasis Antetokounmpo (left calf soreness), Kyle Kuzma (right Achilles tendinopathy), Ryan Rollins (left hip flexor soreness), and Myles Turner (right patella tendinopathy) were all ruled out. The Bucks suited up just eight players, and by the final seven minutes, foul trouble had whittled that number down to five. AJ Green and Ousmane Dieng both fouled out in the fourth quarter, and Jericho Sims, despite being available, did not play the last 16 minutes.
Still, Milwaukee’s patchwork lineup showed grit. Gary Trent Jr. was the clear standout for the Bucks, pouring in a season-high 36 points on 12-of-21 shooting, including a scorching 9-for-15 from beyond the arc. It was a performance reminiscent of some of the franchise’s great shooters, just one shy of the single-game record for made threes, a mark shared by Damian Lillard and Ray Allen at 10. "Going into the eighth year of my NBA career I’ve started in games, I’ve been benched, I’ve been behind the bench in a suit, I’ve started and scored 40 before, so again I’ve touched almost every aspect that you can almost be a part of good and bad," Trent reflected after the game. "So, really just over those years throughout the course of my career helped me how to deal with things, how to stay sane, how to continue to keep working, things like that."
Andre Jackson Jr., making his first start since February 12, 2025, chipped in 13 points and six rebounds in 33 minutes, while Taurean Prince delivered 18 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds off the bench. Two-way player Cormac Ryan also made the most of his opportunity, notching a career-high 13 points.
Despite the Bucks’ spirited effort, the Clippers’ depth proved too much. Los Angeles led by as many as 24 points early in the fourth quarter, capitalizing on Milwaukee’s 22 turnovers to score 33 points. Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 20 points in 23 minutes, while Darius Garland added 15 points and 11 assists. Neither played deep into the second half, as the Clippers managed their minutes with an eye on the postseason.
But the Bucks didn’t fold. With the Clippers getting aggressive defensively and putting Milwaukee in the bonus with over seven minutes left, the pace slowed, and Trent’s hot shooting helped the Bucks claw back to within 11 late in the fourth. Yet, the comeback ran out of steam, and the shorthanded Bucks simply couldn’t close the gap any further.
"It was fun, honestly, just to compete," Taurean Prince said postgame. "That’s really what we hung our hat on today, just going out there with who we had and just playing our ass off." Head coach Doc Rivers echoed the sentiment, noting, "I thought we moved the ball, we hung in there. In the first half, it was funny one of our guys said man we’re generating a ton of threes, we’re just not making any of ‘em. If we can start making ‘em we can get back in the game and we made ‘em in the second half. Defensively I wish we were better. Wish we didn’t turn the ball over. That was probably was the biggest difference as well."
The night was also marked by Brook Lopez’s return to Fiserv Forum—not as a Buck, but as a Clipper. Lopez, who spent seven seasons anchoring Milwaukee’s defense, was welcomed back with a tribute video and a standing ovation. He finished with eight points on 2-of-3 shooting, seven rebounds, and a technical foul. "It was a long time (here), there are a ton of great people I spent time here with every single day and a lot of great things happened," Lopez said, clearly moved by the reception. After the game, Lopez caught up with former teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis Jr., leaving with a stack of "Greek Freak" shoes and signed jerseys. "Created a lot of great relationships here. And those last forever," Lopez added.
Meanwhile, the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to cast a shadow over the Bucks’ campaign. The superstar has not played since suffering his knee injury on March 15 against Indiana. Although he has appeared fluid in pregame warmups, Doc Rivers emphasized before the Clippers game that Giannis has not been medically cleared. "No. I mean, he's not healthy yet. So we gotta get to the point where he's cleared before we even have any conversation," Rivers explained. When asked about the possibility of Antetokounmpo returning this season, Rivers replied, "Yeah, but he has to clear all the things. To me, there's no discussion about it until he clears everything." Giannis has now missed seven consecutive games as the team remains cautious about his long-term health.
With the loss, the Bucks fell to 29-45, tied with the Chicago Bulls for the ninth-worst record in the NBA. The franchise’s focus has shifted toward the draft lottery, with a 3% chance at the No. 1 pick according to Tankathon.com—but due to a swap with New Orleans from the 2020 Jrue Holiday trade, the best pick Milwaukee can actually secure is No. 2 overall. The Bucks have a 65.9% chance to land the No. 10 pick, a spot they last held in 2016 when they selected Thon Maker. The draft lottery is set for May 10, and with only a handful of games remaining—against fellow lottery-bound teams like Brooklyn and Memphis—the race for draft position is heating up.
For head coach Doc Rivers, the challenging season has also impacted his own record. His current 48.9% winning percentage is the lowest of his Hall of Fame career and the franchise’s worst since Jason Kidd’s tenure ended in 2018.
The Bucks’ faithful can catch the remaining action locally on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin, with Lisa Byington, Marques Johnson, and Melanie Ricks on the call. The next few weeks will be crucial not just for the draft but for evaluating the young core that has been thrust into the spotlight amid injuries and strategic losses.
As the Bucks look to the future, the resilience shown by the short-handed squad against a playoff-bound Clippers team offered a glimmer of hope. While the losses have piled up, the experience gained by Milwaukee’s younger players could pay dividends down the road. For now, though, all eyes are on the injury report, the lottery odds, and the uncertain status of their franchise cornerstone, Giannis Antetokounmpo.