Don't look, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Sunday's Brooklyn Nets-Milwaukee Bucks matchup wasn't a fair fight, and not in the direction you would think. From the opening tip, Brooklyn looked like a different class of team than Milwaukee. The Nets demolished an apathetic Bucks squad, 127-82, tying their largest win in franchise history.
Despite the absence of head coach Jordi Fernandez, who was out with the flu, the Nets turned in their most complete effort of the season. While no player reached 20 points, nine players reached double figures in the win. Meanwhile, Brooklyn held Milwaukee to 31-of-79 (39.2 percent) shooting from the field and 8-of-35 (22.9 percent) while forcing 20 turnovers.
“It was it was a lot of fun. Watching how well we played as a team,” said assistant Steve Hetzel, who stepped in as head coach during the win. “Normally, Michael [Porter Jr.] has been carrying us offensively, and then you see how spread out the points are amongst a group. I don't think anybody that stepped on the court played poorly. A complete team effort. Totally focused. They really wanted it… It was a great feeling.”
The Nets won every quarter during the victory, three of them by double digits.
Nets embarrass reeling Bucks while tying largest win in franchise history
They put on an offensive clinic, shooting 45-of-85 (52.9 percent) from the field and 19-of-43 (44.2 percent) from three with 33 assists and 13 turnovers. Meanwhile, they held the Bucks scoreless for the final seven minutes of the game.
“You hold any team to no points for six minutes, that’s elite,” Noah Clowney said. “This is the NBA. You don’t do that often to anybody… [And offensively], that’s probably the best form of hoops, when everybody eats and everybody’s playing well, everybody’s making shots. It’s just a good camaraderie.”
Egor Demin led the Nets with one of his best games of the season, posting 17 points and three assists on 6-of-8 shooting. The performance came after Fernandez publicly criticized the rookie's play during Friday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
Clowney scored 16 points on 4-of-9 shooting, and Tyrese Martin tallied 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three off the bench. Drake Powell added 13, while Porter Jr. and Terance Mann chipped in 12 apiece.
The win marked Brooklyn's fourth in its last six games. Following a 0-7 start, the Nets have posted a 7-11 record over their last 18 games, 7-8 when Porter Jr. plays. They rank 20th in offensive rating (112.7), 16th in defensive rating (113.9) and 19th in net rating (-1.2) during that span.
Meanwhile, the Bucks have lost 11 of their last 14 games, including three of their last four, after Antetokounmpo went down with a calf strain. For a team holding on to its superstar centerpiece for dear life, Sunday's performance won't help the cause.
“It’s 45 points to a team trying to lose,” an exasperated Kyle Kuzma said postgame. “They got four or five wins or whatever it is now. No disrespect because that’s the beauty of this league. There’s so much talent [that] if you’re not ready, you can get your butt whooped by any team.”
Kyle Kuzma on Bucks loss to Nets: “It’s 45 points to a team trying to lose. They got 4 or 5 wins or whatever it is now. No disrespect at all because that’s the beauty of this league, right? There’s so much talent and if you’re not ready you can get your butt whooped by any team.” pic.twitter.com/ouGVKB8Kjq
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) December 15, 2025
Following their 4-2 stretch, the Nets have fallen to sixth place in the draft lottery standings. They're one game behind the Los Angeles Clippers in fifth and two behind the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings, who are tied for third.
Brooklyn's last six games have come against teams with sub-500 records. The rebuilding squad will face a difficult schedule over the next two weeks, with matchups against the Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets.
