RJ Hamster
SI:AM | Bucks’ Skid Continues With Brutal Collapse
![]() Geoff Burke/Imagn ImagesThey lost to who?!A bad start to the season for the Bucks got even worse on Monday. Milwaukee blew a fourth-quarter lead against the lowly Wizards to lose 129–126 and fall to 9–13 on the year. The Bucks stretched their lead to 16 points in the middle of the third quarter before Washington went on a 24–8 run to tie the game late in the period. The Bucks retook the lead late in the fourth quarter but saw it slip away thanks to some fantastic shot-making by Washington veterans Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum. First, with 1:21 left to play, Middleton, the former Bucks star, hit a tough midrange jumper as he was fouled to cut Milwaukee’s lead to 122–121. (He missed the ensuing free throw.) Then, on the Wizards’ next possession, McCollum found Middleton open behind the arc for a three that gave Washington a 124–122 lead with 52 seconds left. McCollum sealed the Bucks’ fate with a leaning, contested three of his own with 15 seconds left that stretched the lead to four points. A Myles Turner turnover that led to a Bilal Coulibaly dunk put the finishing touches on the Wizards’ win. “You let a team like that get close, they’ll beat you,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “One thing about ’em, if it gets to a four-minute game they have two players in Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum that know how to play. And so, that’s their secret sauce: Try to keep a game close, then let the veterans take over. And that’s what happened tonight.”It was a rare victory for Washington, which improved to 3–16 and became the last team in the NBA to win its third game of the season.READ MORE FROM DAN The best of Sports Illustrated Jon Wertheim writes that the secret behind Indiana’s flawless 1976 run goes far beyond talent. Dorm clashes, discipline and a very different era of college basketball kept the Hoosiers perfect in a way today’s game may never see again.After years in the wilderness, the Patriots, fueled by quarterback Drake Maye and coach Mike Vrabel, are suddenly bullying the AFC East again, Matt Verderame reports.Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart logged only four carries in Monday’s loss against the Patriots, yet still exposed himself to big hits—an ongoing issue, as Gilberto Manzano points out.Conor Orr’s latest Power Rankings show just how messy the AFC has become with the Chiefs wobbling and the rest of the field offering little clarity entering Week 14.Pat Forde explores how coaching shake-ups, conference imbalances and messy head-to-head résumés could ignite full-blown CFP chaos—right as Lane Kiffin steps into the LSU spotlight.Penn State’s surprise interest in Kalani Sitake for its head coaching position is adding yet another layer of turmoil to Championship Week, Forde writes. Get the print edition of Sports Illustrated delivered to your door.![]() ![]() Click to subscribe! David Butler II/Imagn ImagesThe top five …… things I saw last night: 5. A slick goal by the Sabres’ Josh Norris in his first game since Oct. 9. 4. Sean Monahan’s hand-eye coordination on this goal. 3. Dillon Brooks’s taunt directed at LeBron James after a big dunk. 2. Younghoe Koo’s hilariously disastrous failed field goal attempt. 1. Marcus Jones’s 94-yard punt return touchdown. Sign up for SI NewslettersStay ahead of the game—sign up for all of SI’s newsletters, from golf and soccer to MMQB, and never miss a moment.Get it in your inboxWe may receive compensation for some links to products and services included in this email. Sports Publishing Solutions Inc. 625 Broadway, 10th floor New York, NY. 10012 You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to the SI:AM newsletter.You can unsubscribe here .Privacy Policy – Terms & Conditions © 2025 Sports Publishing Solutions Inc. All rights reserved. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. All betting and gambling content included in the SI:AM newsletter is intended for individuals 21+ (18+ in DC, KY, NH, RI, and WY). Betting and gambling content, including picks and predictions, are based on individual commentators’ opinions and we do not guarantee any success or profits. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER or texting 800GAM.Click this link to view the newsletter in your browser. |

Geoff Burke/Imagn ImagesThey lost to who?!A bad start to the season for the Bucks got even worse on Monday. Milwaukee blew a fourth-quarter lead against the lowly Wizards to lose 129–126 and fall to 9–13 on the year. The Bucks stretched their lead to 16 points in the middle of the third quarter before Washington went on a 24–8 run to tie the game late in the period. The Bucks retook the lead late in the fourth quarter but saw it slip away thanks to some fantastic shot-making by Washington veterans Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum. First, with 1:21 left to play, Middleton, the former Bucks star, hit a tough midrange jumper as he was fouled to cut Milwaukee’s lead to 122–121. (He missed the ensuing free throw.) Then, on the Wizards’ next possession,
Get the print edition of Sports Illustrated delivered to your door.


David Butler II/Imagn ImagesThe top five …… things I saw last night: 5.
Sign up for SI NewslettersStay ahead of the game—sign up for all of SI’s newsletters, from golf and soccer to MMQB, and never miss a moment.