Magic lead Bucks 27-22 after first quarter

ORLANDO – The Milwaukee Bucks head into the Kia Center in Orlando tonight on their first winning streak of the season, having won three consecutive games.

The Magic took a 27-22 lead after the first quarter despite going 1-for-8 from behind the 3-point line. That was because the Bucks were just 3-for-10 and also turned it over seven times, resulting in six Magic points. Orlando also scored four points off three offensive rebounds.

Milwaukee is still in 12^th place in the Eastern Conference and completely out of the postseason picture, however, with a 21-29 record. Orlando is one of the teams the Bucks are chasing, as the Magic are 27-24 and currently seventh in the East.

It is the first of three meetings between the teams, who square off again in Florida on Feb. 11.

For all the Bucks’ struggles to date, they own the season tiebreaker over Chicago (11^th, 24-29) and Charlotte (10^th, 25-28) and are currently 1-0 against Atlanta (9^th, 26-28). Two victories over the Magic would go a long way in helping their case to try and make the play-in.

Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing?

No.

The Bucks superstar will miss his seventh straight game with a strained soleus muscle in his right calf. He has been out since Jan. 23 with the injury.

What is the Bucks record without Giannis?

5-15

Is Giannis playing in the all-star game?

Despite his injury, and a self-diagnosis of a four- to-six-week recovery period, Antetokounmpo has yet to be replaced for the NBA All-Star game by commissioner Adam Silver. Antetokounmpo was voted in to start. He missed the exhibition last year due to a left calf strain, but he did “play” in 2023 when he sprained a wrist. He was on the court for a single possession, dunked the ball and then subbed out.

The 2026 All-Star Game will be held on Feb. 16 in Los Angeles. Antetokounmpo is part of the international, or world, team that will play two teams of U.S. players in a round-robin format.