76ers Survive Back-To-Back, Defeat Milwaukee To Win Third Straight Game
Milwaukee Bucks' Kevin Porter Jr. (7) drives to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers' Jabari Walker, right, Jared McCain (20), and Adem Bona during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
It’s been a wild couple of games for the 76ers, as just last night they pulled off an unbelievable win over the Golden State Warriors thanks to a VJ Edgecombe layup and Tyrese Maxey block.
For winning that game, the 76ers were awarded a trip to Milwaukee for a back-to-back game against the Bucks. While many teams (the 76ers included) struggle with back-to-backs, Philadelphia came out firing in this one and used its first-half lead to hang on for a 116-101victory, and for the 76ers, their third consecutive game. It’s the first time the 76ers have won three games in a row since they won four games to open the season.
Jabari Walker scored a season-high 18 points, 16 coming in the first half, while Quentin Grimes added 22 points and Paul George 20 of his own. It was a quiet night for Maxey, who scored a season-low 12 points in the win. Fatigue seemed to play a factor for the guard, who was a non-factor for the majority of the game.
It was the mixed effort from the 76ers to open up the ballgame as four different players knocked down a shot to open up the game. As for Milwaukee, it was the opposite, as Ryan Rollins and Myles Turner were the only two players who could knock down any buckets.
Tied at 13 with five minutes remaining in the first quarter, the 76ers continued spreading the wealth as eight different players made a shot in the quarter. Whether it was dunks from Adem Bona or threes from Jared McCain, Grimes, or Walker, the 76ers were playing cohesive team basketball on every level. They used a 20-7 run over the final five minutes to a 33-20 lead heading into the second quarter.
While the first quarter was team ball, the start of the second was the Walker show. After drilling a three in the first quarter, his hot hand continued as he drilled back-to-back triples, added two more points from a pair of free throws, and drilled another three a few possessions later to extend the 76ers’ lead to 18.
Paul George also showed his presence in the second, scoring nine of his 11 first-half points in the second frame. All of those points also came in only three minutes of action. While Turner, Rollins, and Kyle Kuzma began knocking down big shots of their own, the 76ers continued to answer back with a mix of threes, Grimes, and Kyle Lowry of all people to hold their lead.
As the final second of the first half ticked down, Walker added two more points to make it 69-49 after 24 minutes. The 76ers’ bench contributed 40 of their 69 points, and 16 of them came from Walker.
Out of the half, both teams continued trading shots with each other. For the Bucks, it was Turner who scored an early seven points, and throughout the quarter, they got their scoring from Kevin Porter Jr., who scored 13 points in the frame. While the Bucks chipped away at the 76ers’ lead, three three-pointers from Grimes were the reason the 76ers stayed ahead as they went into the final 12 minutes of action up 93-77.
Down 16, the Bucks continued chipping away at the 76ers’ lead. A four-point play from Gary Trent Jr. kicked off the run, and a mid-range bucket from Bobby Portis and two free throws from Porter made it a 10-point game. The 76ers’ fatigue from a back-to-back began to kick in as nobody could hit a shot.
George finally knocked down a back-to-back shots, but the Bucks’ fourth-quarter comeback was still going strong with 10 straight points. With a lead down to nine, Maxey, running on fumes, somehow knocked down his first bucket of the quarter with under four minutes to play. Using that momentum, Edgecombe knocked down a long three, and Drummond added a layup to get the lead back to 14 with two minutes to play.
Milwaukee knocked down a few quick buckets, but Grimes answered back with a four-point play that sealed the game for the 76ers. Both benches emptied as the 76ers held on for the 116-101 win.
Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
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