Under fire Doc Rivers talks about "moral victories" after Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Bucks' 3rd successive defeat
Doc Rivers’ Milwaukee Bucks headed to Boston on Monday less than 24 hours after losing 115-102 to the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. For nearly three quarters, Rivers' team kept the Celtics’ high-powered offense in check before the dam broke. The Bucks, on short rest, eventually lost 119-108 to the defending champs to extend their losing streak to three games.
Rivers told reporters after the game when asked to comment about the Bucks’ performance:
“I don’t like moral victories, but I just thought that's what we can be, at least for 3 quarters. I thought we ran out of gas a little bit. (Team) didn’t get a lot of help from our bench tonight. … We played relatively well, but we couldn’t sustain it.”
Milwaukee won the first quarter 29-28 and finished the first half with a 56-53 lead. The Bucks led 80-79 before the hosts uncorked an 11-0 run that ended with a Payton Pritchard 26-footer.
Pritchard’s dagger forced Doc Rivers to slump along the sidelines as the Boston Celtics took a 90-82 advantage leading to the fourth quarter.
Pritchard and Jaylen Brown scored the game’s first seven points in the final period to push Boston’s lead to 97-82 before Milwaukee responded. Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo did their best to rally their team to victory, but the Celtics thwarted them.
The Bucks’ Doc Rivers-coached defense has been disappointing
The Milwaukee Bucks are off to a 1-3 start, which included an embarrassing 115-102 to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. Milwaukee’s Doc Rivers-coached defense has been disappointing. The Bucks ranked 25th in defensive rating leading up to the matchup against the Boston Celtics.
For nearly three quarters, the defense surprisingly stepped up even on short rest before the Cs erupted on offense. Boston, No. 1 in the NBA in offensive rating, eventually overwhelmed Rivers’ defensive strategy.
The Milwaukee Bucks have two days to rest before heading West to take on the Memphis Grizzlies. With Ja Morant back and the roster healthy, the Grizzlies are one of the most efficient teams on offense this season. Milwaukee's losing streak could extend to four games if its defense continues to stutter.