The Milwaukee Bucks suffered a historic 127-82 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday at Barclays Center, marking one of the franchise’s most lopsided defeats.
Doc Rivers took responsibility for the team’s performance. “I thought that was awful. Awful all around on me ‘cause I clearly didn’t get them ready… we got a lot of soul searching to do,” he said.
Rivers criticized the Bucks’ lack of intensity and execution. “No one wanted to play hard… we had the exact amount of assists that we had turnovers,” he said, highlighting the team’s struggles with ball movement and missed opportunities.
The coach acknowledged Brooklyn’s effort. “Give Brooklyn credit. They played hard as heck. They moved the ball. They played right,” Rivers said, noting that the Nets capitalized on Milwaukee’s early mistakes, scoring on nearly every possession to build a commanding lead.
Rivers singled out the guards for their performance, particularly Kevin Porter Jr., but emphasized it was a collective issue. “I could care less about his shots. The ball movement tonight… our guards just didn’t want to pass the ball,” he said, referencing multiple possessions where open teammates were ignored.
Defensive lapses also frustrated Rivers. “It really was… some missed switches, some communications… the film’s going to be long and hard to watch,” he said, reflecting on the Bucks’ inability to contain Brooklyn’s scoring.
The coach stressed the need for accountability and competition. “We thought it was going to be a show. The problem is the other team thought it was a competition, and we didn’t,” Rivers said, calling for self-reflection across the roster.
Despite the blowout, Rivers emphasized coaching unity and the importance of regrouping. “All our coaches… we just didn’t play with the right spirit tonight,” he said, stressing that correcting the team’s mindset begins with leadership.
“After this game, thank God we have three more days. Maybe we need three-four days between each game. I mean, if we can play like that again, but we got to fix this. We really do,” the coach said.
Brooklyn dominated from the start, shooting 53 percent overall and 44 percent from three, with Egor Demin leading the way with 17 points. Milwaukee never led after the opening minutes and struggled offensively, finishing with just 39 percent from the field and 23 percent from three-point range.
The Bucks aim to recover when they host Toronto on Thursday, while Brooklyn looks to extend its recent surge at home against Miami.
