NBA: Bucks coach Doc Rivers to miss game at Thunder

Assistant coach Darvin Ham will lead the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night against the host Oklahoma City Thunder while head coach Doc Rivers is away attending a funeral.

The team made the announcement less than two hours before the final game before the NBA All-Star break was scheduled to tip off.

Ham, 52, has been the Bucks' lead assistant coach since 2024 after a two-year tenure as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. He previously served on Milwaukee’s staff for four years (2018–2022). During his time with the Lakers, Ham posted a 90–74 record and led the team to one Western Conference Finals appearance.

Milwaukee also confirmed that Ryan Rollins (right foot plantar fasciitis) will miss the game, while Kyle Kuzma (left foot soreness) is available. Both players were listed as questionable on the team’s injury report.

Rollins, averaging 16.9 points per game in 51 appearances, is currently the Bucks’ leading scorer among qualified players. Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (28.0 points per game, 30 games) remains sidelined with a right calf strain and will miss his ninth consecutive game.

—Field Level Media/Reuters