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[Saba Sports News] The Milwaukee Bucks were outmatched in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series, falling 117-98 to the Indiana Pacers.
From the opening tip, the Bucks struggled to find any rhythm on either end of the court, and aside from Giannis Antetokounmpo, the starting lineup failed to show up.
One performance in particular stood out—unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons.
Kyle Kuzma finished the night with zero points, zero rebounds, and zero assists in 22 minutes of action. The stat line quickly drew comparisons to Tony Snell’s infamous all-zero game, which has become a meme-worthy benchmark for ineffectiveness in the playoffs.
Kuzma’s outing was historically bad, with one fan on X (formerly Twitter) noting, “Kyle Kuzma on pace to set a playoff record! Most missed shots by a player with zero points, rebounds, or assists in 20+ minutes. Maurice Lucas’ four misses stood for nearly 40 years.”
The Bucks had hoped Kuzma could be a reliable third scoring option behind Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But with Lillard currently sidelined, Milwaukee desperately needs Kuzma and the rest of the supporting cast to step up—especially against a high-octane Pacers team that can put up points in bunches.
The silver lining? Lillard has been cleared to return and is expected back by Game 2 or 3. His presence should raise Milwaukee’s offensive ceiling and relieve some of the pressure on players like Kuzma.
If the Bucks hope to even the series or steal a game on the road, they’ll need meaningful contributions from their role players—Kuzma included.