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Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers is taking responsibility for the team’s 1-4 start, saying the following after the team’s 122-99 road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday.
The Bucks have allowed 122.25 points per game during their losing streak. All four of those losses have been by double digits.
On Thursday, Memphis shot 52.4 percent from the field and led by as many as 31 points. The Grizzlies also scored 40 first-quarter points and out-rebounded the Bucks 56-38.
Rivers took over as the Bucks’ head coach early in the second half of their 2023-24 campaign following the dismissal of head coach Adrian Griffin. Milwaukee has since gone 20-27 under Rivers (including playoffs).
The Bucks’ defensive effort has been particularly worrisome. Entering Thursday, Milwaukee ranked 24th in defensive rating, per Basketball-Reference. Other stats, and the tape, tell the story as well.
Milwaukee notably allowed plenty of open shots to Memphis, especially in transition. The Bucks also saw Ja Morant, who had a triple double, lob an assist while sitting down on the court.
Fans are naturally pessimistic about this team’s prospects.
The good news? This season is five games old, and the Bucks still have two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, a two-way superstar, aboard.
The bad news? The Bucks look like one of the NBA’s worst teams right now, and the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers are up next for a home-and-home two-game set.
Game 1 there will go down on Saturday in Milwaukee.
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