Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers addressed his team’s 122-99 defeat to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday at State Farm Arena. “Extremely. I mean, 20 more attempts, you’re just not going to win the game,” Rivers said when discussing turnovers and offensive struggles.
The coach pointed to Atlanta’s physical advantage. “I thought they were so much more the physical team… their guards were rebounding over our bigs. They got in the paint and played bully ball,” he explained.
Rivers highlighted breakdowns in execution and mental focus. “We blew up our triple handoffs. I bet we had 10 unforced turnovers… we broke rules a ton coming out of the corner giving up threes. So we did a lot of bad things today and we deserve to lose,” he admitted.
Mistimed rotations also frustrated Rivers. “Some of those turnovers, it’s inbounds out of a timeout… supposed to have three guys in the back, the one guy was walking away. It was just one of those nights or days,” he said.
Despite the loss, Rivers saw moments of opportunity. “I thought we kept having opportunities to get back in the game. It was 10 points… and I’ve been around long enough to know that’s going to go one way or the other… it turned into a 20-point game,” he noted.
Looking ahead, Rivers emphasized adjustments with limited practice time. “We don’t have a lot of time… we have guys in and out of the lineup… but we have to figure it out. That’s what we’re here for,” he added.
He also praised young guard Ryan Rollins for his performance. “I think Ryan shoots like 75%… what he’s doing better is getting the ball, giving up the ball, getting… he did it a ton today. We’ve added that. He’s really taken advantage of it and it’s good for him,” Rivers said.
Atlanta extended its winning streak to nine games, led by CJ McCollum’s 30 points and Jalen Johnson’s 12th triple-double of the season. Johnson finished with 23 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds, while McCollum connected on seven 3-pointers and moved into 16th place on the NBA’s all-time 3-point list.
The Bucks struggled without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who sat out with a sprained ankle. Kevin Porter Jr. recorded 18 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, while Rollins added 22 points and eight assists, but turnovers and rebounding deficiencies prevented a comeback.
Milwaukee falls to 27-39 and has lost four straight, while Atlanta improves to 36-31, solidifying its position in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
