San Antonio Spurs vs Milwaukee Bucks Picks and Predictions January 31st 2025

Bucks Look to Close Road Trip Strong Against Slumping Spurs

The Milwaukee Bucks will aim to cap off their four-game road trip with a win when they face the struggling San Antonio Spurs on Friday night. While the Bucks are looking to regain their defensive identity after a disappointing loss in Portland, the Spurs continue to search for consistency as they battle through a tough stretch of their season.

Bucks Seeking a Bounce-Back Win

Milwaukee (35-17) has won nine of its last 12 games, but their most recent outing—a 125-112 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers—highlighted some concerning issues, particularly on the defensive end.

Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered another dominant performance, racking up 39 points on 17-of-24 shooting while adding 12 rebounds and five assists. However, his effort wasn’t enough to overcome defensive lapses and stagnant offense.

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Head coach Doc Rivers didn’t mince words after the loss.

“I never thought we established any kind of defensive presence throughout the game. Our offense was awful. We didn’t have the beautiful ball movement to get the next pass in the open guy in time.”

Damian Lillard scored 20 points in his return to Portland, while Brook Lopez and Gary Trent Jr. each added 11. The Bucks, however, failed to contain Portland’s perimeter attack and lost both meetings against the Blazers this season.

Friday’s game against the Spurs represents an opportunity for Milwaukee to right the ship before returning home to face Memphis. After that, another road-heavy stretch awaits, with games in Oklahoma City, Charlotte, and Atlanta.

Spurs Looking to End Home Struggles

San Antonio (12-40) has lost five straight home games and continues to experience growing pains, even as Victor Wembanyama continues to impress. The rookie phenom recorded 23 points and 12 rebounds in a 128-116 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, but once again, the Spurs struggled in the closing moments.

San Antonio held a one-point lead after a Wembanyama three-pointer with 5:38 left, but the Clippers responded with a decisive 15-2 run, leaving the Spurs without answers in crunch time.

Veteran guard Chris Paul summed up the team’s frustrations.

“Got to look at the film and see, once again, how we can be better down the stretch. I mean, it’s the story of our season—we are in every game, and then we’re not.”

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Alongside Wembanyama, Stephon Castle contributed 20 points, Devin Vassell added 19, and Harrison Barnes finished with 15. However, the Spurs’ struggles in late-game execution continue to haunt them, as they have now lost five of their last six games.

Despite the losses, Wembanyama remains optimistic about the team’s growth.

“On the way back from our toughest point in the season, and we made some efforts tonight to get out of it, so I think we’re on the right way. It’s easy to forget about winning, but it’s right there. So we’ll get back to it.”

Adding to the excitement, Wembanyama was named a Western Conference All-Star reserve on Thursday, a well-deserved honor for the standout rookie.

Series History and What to Expect

The Bucks already defeated the Spurs once this season, securing a 121-105 win in Milwaukee on January 8. Now, with the road trip coming to an end, they will look to replicate that success.

The key for Milwaukee will be reestablishing their defensive presence and improving ball movement to avoid another stagnant offensive performance. For San Antonio, closing out games remains their biggest challenge, and facing a championship-caliber opponent like the Bucks will be a tough test.

Will the Bucks finish their road trip on a high note, or can the Spurs finally snap their home losing streak? The answer awaits in San Antonio.