OKLAHOMA CITY — Coach Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City Thunder lost to a Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks team in a 110-93 blowout at home on Thursday. The Thunder faced the Bucks without Jalen Williams and All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who missed his fifth consecutive game with an abdominal injury.

After the loss, Daigneault pointed to the Bucks' defense disrupting the Thunder's offense early and often throughout the night, as Milwaukee's lead ballooned to its largest of the night, 24 points.

“We weren't able to really get any offensive rhythm tonight for whatever reason,” Daigneault said. “I thought there were a lot of possessions we weren't very organized, which sets you back at the beginning of possessions. Milwaukee did a great job; obviously, they outplayed us the whole night. But, obviously, it just wasn't our best night. But I thought our process let us down on a lot of plays.”

While the Bucks' defense held the Thunder to under 40% from the floor (37.3%), they drained 17 threes amid a well-balanced attack. Seven Bucks players scored in double figures, including a team-high 19 points from the former Thunder forward acquired ahead of last week's trade deadline.

AJ Green connected on six threes en route to 17 points. Bobby Portis added a double-double (15 points, 12 rebounds), and Kyle Kuzma chipped in 14 points. Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, who earned his first All-Star nod ahead of this weekend's festivities, led Oklahoma City with 16 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.

The Thunder were also missing their starting center, Isaiah Hartenstein, his backup in Branden Carlson, and backup guard Ajay Mitchell.

Mark Daigneault talks about Nikola Topic before Thunder debut

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Thunder Head Coach Mark Daigneault watches his team play against the Houston Rockets during the second half at Paycom Center
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault discussed Nikola Topic's long road to making his NBA debut. After Topic forfeited his rookie season with an ACL injury, the 2024 first-round pick was diagnosed with testicular cancer after the Thunder's first preseason game in October.

For Daigneault, Topic's remarkable journey set the stage for an unforgettable night at the Paycom Center.

“He’s done an incredible job in the face of a lot of different obstacles and adversities,” Daigneault said. “For a young person, he’s shown tremendous resilience and optimism, professionalism, consistency, steadiness; he's an impressive young guy. And before that, he did an ACL [injury]. Then, turned around and had another more significant setback. I’m incredibly happy for him to be able to dress tonight.”

The Thunder enter the All-Star break with the NBA-best record — 42-14.