Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers called Thursday’s 128-96 loss to the Utah Jazz “awful,” citing a lack of competitive spirit. “I thought the first group came in… everyone on the team in that group was trying to score,” Rivers said, noting that poor ball movement undermined team execution.
Rivers emphasized accountability for the team’s performance. “At the end of the day, that’s on me to get him to play right,” he said, highlighting that the Bucks failed to capitalize on favorable matchups during the game.
Addressing the upcoming stretch of the season, Rivers remained focused on improvement. “There’s still 13 games left in the season… important basketball,” he said, adding that film review would be critical to identify issues and make adjustments before the trip to Phoenix.
The coach pointed to both offensive and defensive concerns. “Still defensively, you know, there’s some problems there… turnovers, Myles turnover, Scoot’s turnovers, those are bigger concern to me,” Rivers explained.
Rivers praised players showing effort despite the loss. “Bobby was phenomenal tonight. Bobby had the right spirit… even if Bobby had not played well, he still played with the right spirit,” he said.
Milwaukee struggled to match Utah’s efficiency, shooting 41% overall and 34% from three while being outscored 128-96. Ace Bailey led the Jazz with 33 points, seven 3-pointers, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Cody Williams added 23 points, and Elijah Harkless recorded 23 points with 10 assists, giving Utah a commanding lead from the first quarter.
The Bucks briefly cut the margin to 44-40 in the second quarter, but a 20-4 run by Utah led by Bailey, Williams, and Blake Hinson extended the lead to 64-44 at halftime. Milwaukee finished with 35 rebounds, nine assists, and 12 turnovers, highlighting struggles in ball movement and defensive execution.
Rivers acknowledged the challenge of keeping young players focused. “In situations like this, it’s easier for the young guys maybe to understand like, oh, I’m playing for my next contract… you’ll find out who the winners are. You will find out who the keepers are,” he said.
The loss dropped the Bucks to 28-41, maintaining their 11th-place position in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee travels to Phoenix on Saturday, facing a Suns team battling for playoff positioning, while Utah hosts the Philadelphia 76ers.
