Doc Rivers offered a candid breakdown of the Milwaukee Bucks’ elimination after Tuesday’s 119-118 overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 5.
The defeat ended Milwaukee’s season in the first round for the second consecutive year, and Rivers pointed directly to late-game execution as the deciding factor.
“Execution down the stretch is something that you must have, and we have to own that,” Rivers told reporters after the game.
Milwaukee led by seven points in the final minute of overtime, but back-to-back turnovers and defensive lapses allowed Indiana to go on an 8-0 run, capped by Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winning layup with 1.3 seconds remaining.
Rivers acknowledged that Gary Trent Jr., who had been one of the Bucks’ best performers on the night, committed two of those critical turnovers.
“GT was freaking amazing tonight for us, but…two of the three were really unforced,” he said.
The Bucks also failed to use a foul they had to give, which Rivers said directly led to a Haliburton three-point play that cut the deficit to one.
Another major turning point was Andrew Nembhard’s clutch three-pointer, which Rivers called “the single biggest play” of the night.
Despite the loss, Rivers praised his starting five, which included Trent Jr., AJ Green, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, and Scoot Henderson, for battling through fatigue and logging heavy minutes.
Giannis finished with 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 13 assists, and Rivers called it “one of the best games I’ve seen him play.”
He also spoke about the evolution of Antetokounmpo’s leadership role, saying the two-time MVP embraced being more vocal this season.
“In timeouts tonight, he was leading. That’s growth,” Rivers said.
The Bucks head coach did not use injuries as an excuse but pointed out the absence of Damian Lillard and limited availability of other players as key challenges throughout the series.
“This is all part of it. It is what it is,” Rivers said. “I would love this team full.”
Milwaukee outshot Indiana from beyond the arc but gave up 20 points off turnovers, a stat Rivers emphasized as “the difference.”
Despite back-to-back first-round exits, Rivers expressed confidence in the roster going forward and highlighted the development of players like AJ Green, Scoot Henderson, and Gary Trent Jr.
“We like our team,” he said. “We found a lot of players through the adversity.”
The Pacers advance to face the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals beginning Sunday.
