Milwaukee Bucks struggle without Giannis Antetokounmpo, fall vs. Philadelphia 76ers

The Milwaukee Bucks played without their best player for the first time since his latest injury and it showed.

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers shows his frustration with a call as they compete against the Philadelphia 76ers | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks are back in the loss column after falling to the Philadelphia 76ers by a score of 115-101 inside the Fiserv Forum.

The Bucks came out of the gates flat and could not score the ball as frequently as the Sixers. They fell behind by double digits early and could not recover. After taking an 11-9 lead early in the first quarter, the Bucks surrendered four straight points and never got the lead back.

The 76ers were able to build a lead as large as 26 points, cruising to a win on the road against the Bucks.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins drives to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George. | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Bucks falter without Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. 76ers

Not having Antetokounmpo, who is out for a couple of weeks with a calf strain, is a massive blow for the Bucks, who have built their entire offense around him. While other players tried to step up in his absence, it simply wasn't enough for the Bucks.

The Bucks were led by Bobby Portis, who scored a game-high 22 points off the bench. Kevin Porter Jr. was right behind him with 20 and Myles Turner had 19 of his own. Starting point guard Ryan Rollins had 16 points while Kyle Kuzma dropped 14 off the bench.

For the Sixers, Quentin Grimes was the leading scorer, also posting 22 points. Paul George had a strong game with 20 points, while Jabari Walker had 18 points. Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe had 12 points apiece and Adem Bona had 10 off the bench.

The Bucks are going to need to figure out how to play without Antetokounmpo for a while given his injury and the season could go from bad to worse if they don't find a way to fix it soon. They have a little bit of time, but every game could push them further back in the standings.

The Bucs are back in action tomorrow night when they take on the Detroit Pistons for the second time this week to pop this schedule for 6:30 PM CT. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.

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