MILWAUKEE — When Doc Rivers made his Milwaukee Bucks teaching debut on Jan. 29, he got here away from the sport inspired by the workforce’s defensive effort regardless of a loss on the street in Denver.
Quick ahead two weeks later and the Bucks put collectively one in every of their most full wins of the season, a 112-95 rout of the defending champions on Monday night time. It was the second consecutive win for Milwaukee and second consecutive sport holding an opponent beneath 100 factors, the primary time the Bucks have pulled that off within the common season since November 2021.
“Guys are simply being on the identical web page,” Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo stated after the sport. “Coach Doc is holding us to a excessive commonplace. He needs us to defend. He would not take lack of effort as an excuse. When you’re on the ground, you have to do your finest.”
Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic collected 29 factors, 12 rebounds and eight assists, scoring or aiding on 48 of the Nuggets’ 95 factors, however his effort wasn’t sufficient to beat just a few key accidents. Each Jamal Murray (shin damage) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (proper hamstring tightness) didn’t play within the second half.
Antetokounmpo paced the Bucks with 36 factors and 18 rebounds. He now has 9 profession video games with 30 factors, 15 rebounds and 5 assists whereas taking pictures 70%, tied with Charles Barkley for third most in NBA historical past, in keeping with analysis by ESPN Stats & Info. They path solely Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Whereas Rivers praised the workforce’s tempo offensively, he was largely inspired to see the protection enhance in among the ideas he has aimed to put in since taking the job late final month.
Milwaukee began 1-5 beneath Rivers, giving up 119.2 factors per sport in these six contests. However in these back-to-back wins, the Bucks have held opponents to 89.5 factors per sport.
“Simply regular progress,” Rivers stated after Monday’s sport. “Believing in your D, trusting it, clarifying it — what we wish to do … The extra we are able to get our guys to know precisely what we’re doing, they’ll play at full velocity. That is what we’re making an attempt to do. Simplify, so we are able to play with hearth.”
Rivers estimated the teaching employees has spent about 70% of its obtainable time working with the workforce on protection. And that focus has been about ensuring the workforce is on the precise web page.
“I simply suppose it is the accountability,” Bucks guard Damian Lillard stated. “After we’re watching movie, we’re in our conferences, in observe, I believe Doc and our whole employees, they’re doing an incredible job of simply calling every thing out. They’re difficult us in a variety of other ways. Our communication, how bodily we’re, how we feature ourselves as a gaggle.
“Looking for our identification. Who can we wish to be. Who’re we going to step like once we get on the ground. And I believe we’re simply having a variety of carryover as a result of there’s a lot dialog round it.”