Saturday proved to be a tough day for the Milwaukee Bucks, especially for forward Kyle Kuzma.
The Bucks suffered a disappointing 117-98 loss to the Indiana Pacers in the opening game of the NBA playoffs. Kuzma had a rough outing, delivering one of the worst individual playoff performances in NBA history.
Kuzma, who started and played 21 minutes, struggled to make an impact for a Bucks team missing All-Star Damian Lillard. Shockingly, he failed to register a single point, rebound, assist, steal, block, or turnover in the game.
Here’s a breakdown of Kuzma’s performance:
– 0-5 shooting from the field
– 0-2 from beyond the arc
– 0-2 from the free-throw line
– 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 0 turnovers
This resulted in a game-low -24 plus/minus rating, making it a tough day for the veteran player who was making his playoff debut for the Bucks after being acquired in a trade midseason.
Kyle Kuzma, left, had a rough Saturday against the Pacers. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
Kuzma’s place in ignominious playoff history
According to reports, Kuzma joins a list of only six players in NBA history who have played 20 or more minutes in a playoff game without recording any stats. The other players on this list include Mike Dunleavy Jr. (2015), Bruce Bowen (2008), Brent Barry (2005), Michael Cage (1993), and Maurice Lucas (1986).
Barry holds the record for the most playoff minutes played without a contribution, with 22:12 of play for the San Antonio Spurs against the Seattle SuperSonics in 2005. However, unlike Kuzma, Barry’s team emerged victorious that day.
Unfortunately, Kuzma’s lackluster performance is consistent with his overall season performance. He ranked poorly in win shares per 48 minutes during the regular season, placing 519th out of all NBA players and last among those who played enough minutes to qualify for the stat.
The Bucks can look forward to Lillard’s potential return in Game 2 or Game 3 of the series, as he recovers from deep vein thrombosis. Head coach Doc Rivers may need to rethink Kuzma’s role for the remainder of the series.