Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers pointed to execution issues as Oklahoma City Thunder routed his team 122-102 on Wednesday night.
“I thought they did a nice job on [Giannis], but I didn’t think we did a very good job of getting him the ball in the spots, and that’s all we worked on today,” Rivers said. “Our first 12 minutes was the difference in the game. We literally played right into what they wanted us to do.”
Rivers highlighted the Bucks’ early turnovers as a critical factor. “Eight first-quarter turnovers. Just bad ball handling. We had two keys: take care of the ball and play as a group. We were trying to play individually offensively instead.”
The coach also addressed Giannis Antetokounmpo’s limited impact despite finishing 8-of-11 from the field for 19 points. “We have to get him on the elbow more. The first play of the game they fronted him, we worked on the flash, and no one moved. We have to keep working on that part,” Rivers said.
Rivers discussed adjustments for lineups missing Myles Turner and Kevin Porter Jr. “Especially with Giannis on minute restrictions, you can’t get in a hole early. If you get down early, you have to take Giannis off the floor, and it just increases the lead. That’s exactly what happened.”
AJ Green’s performance drew praise. “He just lets it come to him. His field goal percentage is as high as the fours and fives in the league, especially with the shots he’s taking. He’s an efficient, good basketball player.”
Rivers also noted the contributions of Pete Nance. “He’s been really good. He knows how to play, helps our unit, moves the ball, makes the right decisions, and holds his own defensively. He might be one of the silver linings through all this stuff.”
The coach emphasized team morale despite the setback. “I think we’re in a high right now. You can see it in our spirit. These next games are huge. All winnable, all at home. We get some rest, and we’ll find out what we have in the next four or five games.”
On offensive execution with Kyle Kuzma alongside Giannis, Rivers said, “He should have been a roller, a pick-setter in the middle of the floor. Today, he was spacing a lot, which is not what we want early in the clock.”
The Thunder controlled the game from start to finish, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading Oklahoma City with 40 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds. Milwaukee remained at 18-24, struggling to recover without key rotation players, while Oklahoma City improved to 36-8.
