Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers emphasized the team’s depth after Sunday’s 115-98 win over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.
“That is the most minutes for Giannis since he’s come back. 31. It was a minute over. Okay. So, we just made the call to leave them in because I thought we could put the game away. So, and we did that,” Rivers said. Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 37 points and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes.
Rivers credited the Bucks’ bench for allowing the starters to sit longer. “I thought our non-Giannis minutes in the first half were phenomenal and I thought that actually opened the game for us cuz it allowed us to sit Giannis a little longer. That was key.”
On the team’s shooting performance, Rivers noted the unusual results from beyond the arc. “You give this shoot team 37 threes and we only make 10. That’ll happen twice a year. We’re the second-best field goal percentage shooting team in the league.”
Rivers also addressed the development of the team’s young guards. “Back to Scoot [Kevin Porter Jr.], there were four possessions where someone else just let them bring it up. He’s learning. He even said, ‘Man, I’m not used to doing that.’ I said, ‘Get used to it because we want the ball in your hands. Pressure doesn’t bother him.’” Porter contributed 25 points and 10 assists in the victory.
The coach highlighted the Bucks’ execution and ability to adjust on defense. “We were taking bad shots. But it wasn’t executing what we’re supposed to be running. The film will show them that and we’ll be fine.”
Rivers addressed Giannis’ minor leg issue late in the game. “It looked like his leg was rolled up on, you know, and then it was fine. Yeah. He just pissed that his leg was rolled up on. And then no call with it looked like Russ there’s an alter. I don’t know honestly on that one if that was a foul or not.”
The Bucks dominated early, building a 62-42 halftime lead. Sacramento briefly cut the deficit to five points in the third quarter, but Milwaukee responded with an 18-5 run, sealing the outcome before garbage time.
Milwaukee improved to 16-20 with the win, while Sacramento fell to 8-28, extending its losing streak to five games. Myles Turner added 15 points and anchored the interior, and the Bucks converted 27 of 30 free throws while holding the Kings to 43 percent shooting overall.
The Bucks travel to Golden State on Wednesday, and Rivers’ remarks underscore his focus on balanced contributions, execution, and developing younger players to complement Giannis’ star presence.
