Kyle Kuzma did nothing for the Bucks to open the 2025 postseason.
Kuzma, 29, had one of the worst playoff performances in recent history in Saturday’s 117-98 defeat to the Indiana Pacers.
For 21 minutes during the first round of the Eastern Conference match, Kuzma was unable to record a single counting stat, filming 5-5 from the field and 0-2 from the free throw line.
Kuzma statistics have been added to the Worst Minus-24 game in the Plus/Minus column in Power Forward.
The eight-year veteran is the sixth player in NBA history to not record a single counting stat while playing more than 20 minutes in a playoff game. Multiple reports.
Mike Dunleavy Jr. last did that with the Bulls in 2015, with others Bruce Bowen (2008), Brent Barry (2005), Michael Cage (1993) and Maurice Lucas (1986).
Of the group, Bowen played the most time (22:12) in the 2005 Wester Conference semi-finals and the Spurs and Sonics semi-finals.
However, unlike Kuzma, Bowen’s Spurs managed to get home with victory.
Kuzma’s Saturday performance appears to reflect a consistent trend since trading with the Bucks earlier this season.
The 2020 NBA champion ranked last of all qualified players with a winning share of minus 0.024 per 48 minutes.
Despite the Bucks’ loss in Game 1, star point guard Damian Lillard is expected to return to the second half of the series after being sidelined in the final stretch of the regular season with a deep venous thrombosis.
The doctor previously pointed out that Lillard’s recovery process is the fastest for anyone with that diagnosis, and cites early treatment as one reason for his quick return before a formal diagnosis.
Milwaukee head coach Doc Rivers noted that the team is ready to miss out on the rest of the season.
“This could have been a career threat.” Rivers said Thursday..
“Or it was. The fact that he is very likely to play in the playoffs for us, that’s a godsend.”
