Kenny Smith Calls Out Kyle Kuzma Amid Bucks' Woes vs. Pacers

The Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday in Game 4 of the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. The Bucks couldn't keep up with the Pacers' fast-paced offense and suffered a 129-103 defeat, leading to Indiana's 3-1 series lead.

In the first quarter, the Bucks suffered an injury to their All-Star point guard, Damian Lillard. The veteran star fell to the ground, grabbing his left ankle. According to Chris Haynes, the organization fears Lillard might have suffered an Achilles tear.

From there, the Bucks couldn't keep up with the Pacers, which led to their eventual loss.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma reacts in the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers during game four of the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum.

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Following the loss, former NBA player Kenny Smith called out one player for the Bucks. During TNT's broadcast of the show "Inside the NBA," Smith singled out Kyle Kuzma for not stepping up amid their injury woe with Lillard.

“There’s some under performers that not getting the job done,” Smith said.

“Kyle Kuzma would definitely be one," he added. "A guy who’s replacing [Khris] Middleton, who was an All-Star. So, their expectation, he’s a younger version and saying, ‘You can shoot the ball, you can space the floor.’”

The former Houston Rockets point guard said that Kuzma's lack of aggression was on his part. The one-time champion finished with three points on 16.7% shooting from the field. Smith demands that Kuz get at least 13 shots in a game to help out the Bucks.

Kuzma joined Milwaukee in the middle of the 2024-25 NBA season when they traded veteran star Khris Middleton. The forward started the campaign with the Washington Wizards, where he appeared in 32 games. During that stretch, the 29-year-old averaged 15.2 points and 5.8 rebounds on 42% shooting.