In an ideal world, Middleton would have returned from the injury and ramped up to his spot in the starting lineup with no restrictions.

The Bucks had a plan to make the second-year Spurs phenom uncomfortable. Antetokounmpo and his teammates executed that plan to perfection.

The 2020s have been a decade of rebuilding for the San Antonio Spurs. After their immense success between 1999 and 2014, the Spurs found their team in a sunken place, cemented by the departure of Kawhi Leonard in 2018.

Although Wembanyama ate humble stew on Wednesday, his team remains afloat in the Western Conference NBA Play-In Tier as the 10th seed. However, San Antonio can't afford to play inferior to its opponents, as the Sacramento Kings have the same 18-19 record.

A trio of Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Brook Lopez paved the way for the Bucks, finishing with a combined 73 points. Lopez connected from beyond the arc five times and Lillard four, while Antetokounmpo grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out eight assists.

The second game of an NBA doubleheader on Wednesday, Jan. 8 sees the Milwaukee Bucks hosting the San Antonio Spurs at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

On Wednesday night, the San Antonio Spurs lost their third game in a row, falling to the Milwaukee Bucks 121-105. The Bucks held Victor Wembanyama to just ten points and ten rebounds, and the Spurs were led by Keldon Johnson's 24 bench points.

The Milwaukee Bucks react to AJ Green's dunk attempt vs. San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 8, 2024 at Fiserv Forum.

It's Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks vs Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs tonight at Fiserv Forum. Follow here for live game updates.