Milwaukee are 1-7. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s game report republished by Yahoo Sports, they are only the third Bucks side in franchise history to start a season with that record, the others being the 1974-75 and 1993-94 teams.

This is the first season without Antetokounmpo since 2012. The two-time MVP and veteran Bobby Portis were traded to the Miami Heat in July, with Milwaukee receiving Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis and multiple first-round picks in return. Head coach Doc Rivers departed in mid-April, and the club hired former Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins later that month.

Herro: ‘We don’t have the best talent’

Boston led by as many as 22 in the first half. Herro then dragged Milwaukee back almost on his own, scoring 17 of his game-high 25 points in a third quarter that cut the margin to eight by the end of the frame. The Bucks briefly went up 92-91 with 6:50 left in the fourth before Boston pulled away.

“We gotta be one of the hardest playing teams in the league. We don’t have the best talent,” Herro told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after the game.

Read also: Jahmyr Gibbs runs for 153 yards as Detroit Lions hand Vikings first loss of 2026

Jenkins, who took over a rebuild rather than a contender, pointed to the second-half fight and growth from his young roster rather than the scoreboard.

Boston cover for Tatum’s night off

Paul George scored 25 points and Derrick White added 24 points as Boston closed the game out without Jayson Tatum, who did not play. The Celtics are 6-2 overall and a perfect 5-0 at TD Garden.

Boston’s summer was almost as upheaval-heavy as Milwaukee’s. Jaylen Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in early July for George and future first-round picks, breaking up the partnership that delivered the 2024 championship. Joe Mazzulla is coaching a side with a new look, and after losing in Houston on Monday to end a five-game winning streak, his group needed the Bucks visit to restart.

Where this stands in franchise history

The game report notes that the only other Bucks teams to start a season 1-7 or worse are the 1974-75 side and the 1993-94 side. Milwaukee next host Toronto at Fiserv Forum on Friday, tip-off 7 p.m. local time, with a chance to avoid dropping to 1-8.

Read also: Tommy Paul keeps ATP finals dream alive as four players battle for final two spots

Read also: Will Anderson Jr says Justin Herbert is ‘playing out of his mind’ despite Chargers’ 0-7 record