The Bucks are still in the mix for the No. 5 seed, just half a game behind Detroit. With the Sixers blatantly tanking, this should’ve been an easy win. Philly has lost nine of its last ten and is keeping most of its rotation on the bench, all to protect that top-six draft pick for 2025. They’re not even trying to hide it at this point.
But Milwaukee hasn’t exactly been rolling either. Damian Lillard is out with a blood clot in his calf, and now things got even messier. Doc Rivers had to leave the bench mid-game on Thursday due to an illness Bucks PR reported, per The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. That left assistant coach Darvin Ham stepping in “for the time being.”
With everything going on, the Bucks needed someone to step up—and Giannis wasted no time answering the call. He put on a show in the first half, dropping 20 points in 20 minutes while stuffing the stat sheet. By halftime, Milwaukee had clawed its way to a 61-59 lead, despite a strong start from the Sixers.
Darvin Ham taking over for Doc Rivers isn’t exactly new territory for him. He knows Milwaukee well, having been an assistant during their 2021 championship run. Now, he’s back in the mix, stepping up in the middle of a game and trying to keep the Bucks rolling.
His last gig? Running the show in L.A. The Lakers gave him two seasons, and he put together a solid 90-74 record. But playoff losses to the Nuggets—first in the 2023 Western Conference Finals, then again in the first round of 2024—sealed his fate. The front office decided to hit reset, swapping him out for JJ Redick.
Now, Ham finds himself right back where he started, leading the Bucks in the middle of a wild game against the Sixers.
This is a developing story…
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