San Antonio tames Milwaukee to end two-game NBA slide

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The San Antonio Spurs earned their first win of the week after dominating the Milwaukee Bucks, 119-101, to end their two-game losing streak in the ongoing NBA regular season on Jan. 16, 2026.

Fresh off a disappointing loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio entered the inter-conference matchup with a sense of urgency and laid all of their cards on the table against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the visiting Milwaukee squad.

However, the raucous Frost Bank Center quickly turned dead silent after superstar Victor Wembanyama had to limp his way to the Spurs’ locker room.

Early in the first quarter, Wembanyama appeared to bump knees with Antetokounmpo during an attack to the basket and was considered questionable to return.

The 18,611 in attendance then roared as loud as they could after their franchise star came running back to the court, which brought a sigh of relief to the entire Spurs coaching staff.

Wembanyama seemed to be in optimal condition as he started the second quarter and spearheaded the momentum-boosting run that turned a four-point game into a lopsided affair.

The French prospect embraced the matchup he had against Antetokounmpo, working his offense down the post and putting the Greek Freak in early foul trouble.

When the Bucks decided to double-team him, the San Antonio surge began in the final three minutes of the second frame as Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and Julian Champagnie waxed hot from the three-point line to give the Spurs a double-digit lead at the half.

All hell broke loose in the third quarter after the Spurs outscored the Bucks, 40-16, to mount their biggest lead of the game at 39 points.

Defense was the key to San Antonio’s clinical third-quarter showcase as they limited Milwaukee to its lowest-scoring quarter of the month, bolstered by Wembanyama and Castle, who looked like lynchpins taking cover on the perimeter.

It was pretty much over for the Bucks as they failed to trim their deficit to fewer than 15 points and could only watch San Antonio’s second unit dissect them on both ends of the floor.

Leading the way for San Antonio was Wembanyama, who dropped an efficient double-double outing of 22 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks in just 21 minutes of playing time.

The backcourt one-two punch of Castle and Fox picked up where they left off and combined for 37 points, while Dylan Harper and Champagnie scored 13 markers apiece.

San Antonio will have a day of rest before returning to Frost Bank Center on Jan. 18, 2026, as they lock in for a highly anticipated rematch against the Minnesota Timberwolves.