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Doc Rivers mobbed by NBA fans as Giannis, Dame, Bucks blown away by Ja and Grizzlies | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumors

Boston, MA – October 28: Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers debates a call with referee Tony Brothers in the third quarter at TD Garden. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

The Milwaukee Bucks fell to 1-4 after the Memphis Grizzlies shut them out 122-99 on Thursday night, with point guard Ja Morant posting a double-double of 26 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds.

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo did everything he could, scoring 37 points on 17-of-22 shooting to go along with 11 rebounds. The rest of the Bucks largely struggled, especially Damian Lillard, who scored four points on 1-of-12 shooting. Lillard and fellow starters Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince made just 1 of 19 three-pointers.

Memphis outscored Milwaukee all night long. Examples include the rebounding differential (56-38) and a 40-point first quarter. Memphis led by as many as 31 en route to the 23-point win.

The 2024-2025 season is off to a nightmarish start for the Bucks, with victory in the NBA Finals three seasons ago feeling light years away. Milwaukee opened the year with a 124-109 victory over a shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers team missing Joel Embiid and Paul George, but the Bucks have since lost four straight by an average of 14.5 points. Every game has been a double-digit loss, and the Bucks have allowed 122.25 points per game during that span.

Milwaukee will be without three-time All-Star Khris Middleton, who is recovering from surgery on both ankles. It’s still hard to see light at the end of the tunnel for a team that had championship aspirations a year ago when it brought Lillard on board.

Fans are especially angry with head coach Doc Rivers, who has not done well since taking over the team midseason last year.

Milwaukee fired first-year head coach Adrian Griffin despite a 30-13 start. Including the playoffs, Rivers in place of Griffin is 20-27 as head coach of the Bucks, and that’s a record that’s hard to fathom given Milwaukee’s recent success coupled with the fact that the team has a of the NBA’s elite talents in Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP.

Ryan @BrewPack8

Hiring Doc Rivers is one of the worst decisions this franchise has ever made

The saving grace is that the season is only five games old, so Milwaukee has plenty of time to turn this around and the talent to do so.

However, things are very ugly for the Bucks right now. The skid could very well continue as well, with a home-and-home lineup next up against the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday and Monday.