MILWAUKEE — After they had lost 117-111 to a Toronto Raptors team that was on a 15-game skid, with the Raptors losing the last four of that streak by an average of 31 points, Milwaukee Bucks players and coaches were trying to figure out what has been going on with their team.
“I just feel like we’re a lot better than that,” said Damian Lillard, who had 36 points, five rebounds and six assists in the loss. “We’re a more mature and responsible team than we’ve shown by allowing these games to get to the points that they’ve gotten to and then put ourselves in a dogfight and give it a chance to end this way. But it’s part of the game.
“Nobody wants to hear that, but it’s part of the game. I feel like it’s a type of pain that gets a team together. I just told Brook (Lopez) I haven’t experienced losing three in a row at this point in the season to three of the worst teams, by record, in the league, but I’ve had a similar experience a few times where it was like end of the season and you’re like, ‘Man, what are we doing? What the hell is going on?’ And I think we all have that feeling, but it’s not a lack of effort or care.”
In four days, the Bucks dropped three straight games to the Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies and Raptors. All three teams have already been eliminated from playoff contention and combined have a 66-166 record (.284) on the season.
“We lose three games in a row, the way we have, against the opponents we have, it’s frustrating,” Khris Middleton said. “I mean, you don’t want to disrespect any of those guys on the other side, but when you look at it, we should be able to handle these teams, especially with what we’re fighting for. We’re fighting for a bigger picture. So it’s frustrating that we dropped these three games, didn’t create separation, but also we didn’t find ways to get ourselves better, get ourselves prepared to play against these type of teams.”
Bucks coach Doc Rivers delivered a similar message after the game but was a bit more blunt.
“The last three were against three bad teams. To me, that’s inexcusable. For all of us,” Rivers said. “As I told them, this is on me. I gotta figure out what we gotta do to play at a higher pace.”
The loss dropped the Bucks to 47-30 on the season, but they still occupy the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The hold on that spot is precarious, though, as they’re only one game ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers and two ahead of the New York Knicks and Orlando Magic.
In these recent three losses, the Bucks have put three significantly different lineups on the floor.
On Tuesday, in Washington D.C. against the Wizards, the Bucks had Giannis Antetokounmpo and Middleton while Lillard was out with a right groin strain. On Wednesday, Antetokounmpo was the lone member of the big three to play as Middleton joined Lillard on the injury report with left ankle injury management on the second night of a back-to-back. On Friday, Lillard and Middleton played while Antetokounmpo found himself on the injury report with the left hamstring issues that have plagued him over the last few weeks.
But while the different lineups have kept the team from having real consistency, that didn’t change how the players felt in the locker room on Friday night. The Bucks are now 15-16 with Rivers as their head coach. They have lost five of their last six and find themselves in a terrible pattern at the worst time. Throughout the season, the Bucks have discussed the need to peak at the right time and play their best basketball heading to the postseason.
That is not currently the case.
Instead, the Bucks look disjointed on both ends. On defense, they have reverted to making the same mistakes in transition they made during Adrian Griffin’s tenure, although they largely eliminated those mistakes under Rivers. On offense, the ball is again getting stuck, and they are struggling to play consistent team basketball.
With five games…
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