Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers lauded Giannis Antetokounmpo’s late-game defense after Friday’s 105-101 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. “Obviously late Giannis makes that block on LeBron and the poke away. Just two huge defense plays… it’s why he’s Giannis really,” Rivers said.
Rivers highlighted Antetokounmpo’s awareness and timing on crucial defensive possessions. “That block at the rim was… him Wemby and we should stop really… he has the ability, the timing, and more importantly the awareness to recover and get back in,” he added.
Kevin Porter Jr.’s offensive contributions also drew praise for their impact in clutch moments. “Some big free throws there from Kevin… Scoot [Kevin Porter Jr.] is extremely high IQ… put high IQ on high IQ, you get no fouls… he did a lot of little things defensively that you wouldn’t see, but he did them,” Rivers said.
Rivers was candid about the Bucks’ offensive execution, noting periods of stagnation. “I thought we got clunky… of the 48 minutes we had 36 minutes of great movement and 12 minutes of standing around holding an ISO… right when we get in the movement, we get our threes… we didn’t take as many in the second half because of that,” he said.
The coach emphasized the trust between Giannis and his teammates as key to efficient scoring. “Just trust… he likes his teammates. He likes what we run… his numbers are as efficient as he’s ever been in his career… he’s happy and it’s good for him,” Rivers said.
Rivers also discussed the challenge of managing early fouls for players like Myles Turner. “You pick up those two early fouls, usually you’re going to have an awful night… we intended to get Myles back in so he could play in the second half to have some kind of rhythm… I’m really proud of him,” he said.
Reflecting on the significance of the win, Rivers pointed to the road setting and the team’s resilience. “A win on the road against a good team… it doesn’t matter who. We are now 2-1 on the road trip… put ourselves in the hole with injuries and now we’re trying to bail ourselves out. Every win’s big for us,” he said.
Giannis finished with 21 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Porter added 22 points, including four clutch free throws. The Bucks overcame a late Lakers surge despite Los Angeles shooting 42% from three-point range. LeBron James scored 26 points with 10 assists and nine rebounds, and Luka Doncic contributed 24 points and nine assists but fouled out in the final seconds.
The Bucks improve to 17-21 and will visit Denver on Sunday, while the Lakers fall to 23-13 and return home against Sacramento on Monday.
