By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Milwaukee Bucks will not be participating in the 2026 NBA Playoffs presented by Google. The franchise’s fate was sealed at Fiserv Forum on Saturday night following a demoralizing loss to the San Antonio Spurs, officially eliminating them from postseason contention with a 29–44 record in the 2025-26 Regular Season.
Addressing the media after the game, head coach Doc Rivers did not hide his frustration regarding a season defined by missed opportunities and persistent medical issues.
“It’s been disappointing, obviously,” said the 64-year-old tactician. “Since I’ve been here, I haven’t had a healthy stretch and it’s been your key guys. It’s been Giannis. It’s been Dame. And you hope you can play through that, but we just haven’t had the ability.”
The lack of depth was a glaring issue throughout the 2025–26 campaign, leaving Milwaukee unable to keep pace with the rest of the Eastern Conference. Rivers noted that the team simply lacked the firepower required to compete at the highest level.
“This year having only one ‘star’. Every other team has two and three. We needed health. We were thin. We knew that before the season started, and it just didn’t go our way. All the talk and all that stuff probably didn’t help, either,” he added.
Besides Greek superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo out with a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise, his brother Thanasis was ruled out shortly before tip-off due to left calf soreness. Meanwhile, Alex Antetokounmpo remained on assignment with the Wisconsin Herd. A bright spot in the loss was French forward Ousmane Dieng, who contributed 12 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals as a starter.