Charles F. Gardner

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Orlando– This time it was so bad the Milwaukee Bucks had to talk it out.

The Bucks players and coaches met in a closed locker room for more than 35 minutes Friday night following Milwaukee's 112-96 loss to the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center.

It was the Bucks' fourth straight loss as they kept tumbling in the Eastern Conference race, going from two games above .500 to two games below (20-22).

A team that recently beat San Antonio on its home court has lost its way, suddenly unable to stay with a struggling Magic team (18-27). It was the first time a Magic opponent had failed to score 100 points since Dec. 23, a span of 13 games.

And the Bucks were outscored in the paint, 58-36, and on the fast break, 17-7.

"We had no energy; we came flat," said Bucks coach Jason Kidd. "We can't be predicated on scoring the ball. If we don't score the ball, we tend to take a step back. Those are the things we were talking about. We're not built on the offensive end. We're not just built on two guys. We've got to get multiple guys touching the ball.

"That happens during an 82-game season; you get out of rhythm. But our rhythm is when we share the ball, we play at a very high level. When we come down and play zero-pass or one-pass, we play in the hands of our opponent. We're young. You stay together and you keep working through it."

Point guard Elfrid Payton paced the Magic with 20 points and Jeff Green had 18 off the bench. Aaron Gordon added 17 points and eight rebounds and Bismack Biyombo had 13 points and 13 rebounds. Orlando put seven players in double figures.

Jabari Parker topped the Bucks with 25 points and added six assists and six rebounds, while Giannis Antetokounmpo had 17 points, 14 rebounds and five assists.

But it was a frustrating night for the newly named all-star as Antetokounmpo fouled out with 4 minutes 34 seconds left and the Bucks trailing by 14 points. He made only 6 of 17 shots and committed four turnovers.

Malcolm Brogdon added 16 points and five assists for Milwaukee, which moves on to Miami to end a three-game trip Saturday night.

BOX SCORE: Magic 112, Bucks 96

RELATED: Family, girlfriend surprise Giannis after he gets all-star nod

Coaches and players were part of the locker room meeting to address the team's issues.

"It's being more enthusiastic, looking forward to the next (game)," Parker said. "We'll find our way out.

"I spoke up for the first time and it didn't go my way. I was getting thrashed, but hey, as long as I give them another perspective, I did my job."

Brogdon said the Bucks can get back to the way they were playing when they were shutting teams down earlier in the season.

"I don't think it was the worst effort of the year," Brogdon said. "I don't think it was enough (to win).

"We were just talking. When you're in a slump and you're not playing well and you're not winning, communication is the most important thing. Talking to each other, trying to solve the problem, trying to hold each other accountable. Meetings like that are important.

"Coach Kidd's emphasis is always on us collectively, not just him talking. And we were. We have to find a way to play hard, everybody, for 48 minutes. And if someone is not doing that, hold each other accountable."

The Bucks got off to a solid start, taking a 23-13 lead before going into a scoring drought.

Orlando went on a 14-0 run as it gained a 27-23 advantage early in the second quarter.

The Magic eventually pushed the lead to 11 points before Parker led a Bucks comeback. He scored 10 consecutive points for Milwaukee in one stretch, including a pair of three-pointers, as the Bucks cut their deficit to 55-51.

Rarely used center Miles Plumlee was inserted late in the second quarter and scored four points while having a positive impact. The Bucks trailed at intermission, 59-55, and Parker had 19 points.

The Bucks trailed by 14 entering the fourth quarter but went on a 7-0 run to get within 88-81.

Orlando responded as Payton drained a corner three and Green scored on the break on a lob from D.J. Augustin. A jumper by Gordon pushed the Magic’s lead to 95-81 and forced a Bucks timeout with 8:21 remaining.

The Bucks bench, once one of the most productive in the NBA, continued to struggle. The reserves scored 28 points but had just 15 through the first three quarters when the game was being decided.

"I tried," Kidd said. "I played everybody.

"The bench has been great for us all season and here of late, we haven't been able to get stops or make shots. We're at the halfway point of the season and for a young team, we've got to get mentally stronger."

THREE TAKEAWAYS

1. Bucks coach Jason Kidd said the entire franchise is proud of Giannis Antetokounmpo being named an NBA All-Star Game starter Thursday. “Being one of the 10 best in the world, to take the big stage, for him dreams do come true,” Kidd said. “He believed that he belongs and he’s showing that this season.”

2. The Magic honored former guard Penny Hardaway at Friday’s game as part of his induction into the team’s hall of fame. Hardaway combined with Shaquille O’Neal in the mid-1990s to create an exciting era for the Magic, but it collapsed when O’Neal went to the Los Angeles Lakers and Hardaway took the burden alone. The Magic reached the NBA Finals in 1995 but was swept by the Houston Rockets. Kidd played briefly as a teammate with Hardaway in Phoenix and the two shared a hug before the game. “When you talk about bigger point guards, (he was) a guy that can fill up the stat sheet,” Kidd said. “He made the game so easy.” Hardaway is now a high school coach in his native Memphis.

3. The plus-minus figures for the Bucks bench players were ugly. Jason Terry was a minus-29 in 12 minutes, while Greg Monroe was a minus-28 in 14 minutes and Matthew Dellavedova was a minus-25 in 13 minutes. Dellavedova was scoreless and failed to record an assist. Miles Plumlee was a plus-4 off the bench in 16 minutes in his best showing for quite a while (seven points, zero rebounds).

UP NEXT

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (20-22) vs. Miami Heat (13-30).

When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Where: AmericanAirlines Arena.

About the Heat: Miami has won two straight games, beating Houston and Dallas at home earlier this week. Point guard Goran Dragic scored 32 points and sank all four of his three-point attempts in the Heat’s 99-95 victory over the Mavericks on Thursday. Miami lost to the Bucks in Milwaukee, 116-108, on Jan. 13. Center Hassan Whiteside had 19 points and nine rebounds to lead the Heat.