CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Few opposing coaches are as familiar with the Milwaukee Bucks' games this year as Charlotte Hornets coach Steve Clifford.
Heading into Thursday's game, Clifford's Hornets were playing three different versions of the team. On November 17, Adrian Griffin became Milwaukee's head coach. Doc Rivers took over as manager on February 9, but they were still trying to find their footing by the All-Star break. On Tuesday, Clifford and Rivers pitted their wits against each other again.
“Watching them on film, the way they played last night, you could tell they're a veteran team with a lot of talent,” Clifford said before Thursday's fourth meeting. “And they're at a point now where they're starting to feel good about themselves without[Kris]Middleton and saying, 'Let's move on with this.'” That's how I look at it in a general sense. It's about being there.
“When you're on a veteran team and you know you're good, the only question is when are you going to get ready? For me, I'm looking at them, well, they're getting ready now. And their trust level is high.”
On Thursday, Milwaukee showed the same urgency and confidence Clifford described in the 111-99 win over the Hornets after falling behind by 38 points on Tuesday. From the opening hint on Leap Day, the Bucks made it clear they weren't going to be upset.
On the first defensive possession, the Bucs got things going. The Hornets used a lot of off-ball action to confuse the Bucks, but they executed the switch well, with Damian Lillard showing plenty of toughness on Miles Bridge and increasing the Hornets' forward speed on drives to Brook Lopez. It gave him a chance to hit the ball. shot.
Following Lopez's block, the Bucks showed incredible patience. Giannis Antetokounmpo pushed the ball for a teammate's shot in transition, but after four passes, the ball ended up back in his hands. And that's when Lopez came on the floor and set a screen for Antetokounmpo. This allowed two-time MVP Antetokounmpo to attack the basket, followed by a series of passes that led to Malik Beasley making the first of five 3-pointers on the night. .
During their four-game winning streak since the All-Star break, the Bucks moved the ball well and regularly found open shooters with extra passes. Sixth man Bobby Portis believes the team's recent unselfish play stems from the new coach's communication to start the final third of the season.
“First of all, shout out to the doctor,” Bobby Portis (14 points, 10 rebounds) said after the game. “Just having players who are able to sit down with everyone and tell everyone what they expect from each player, especially when the coaches are specifically telling each player what they want from each player, it's important to I think I can better understand the role of
“So it's easy to make sacrifices in that. And I think we can get even more out of it. The ball finds energy. We move the basketball, we play free, we drive. And we kick it. I think the ball just finds the right guy and everyone lines it up and shoots it. Miss or make it, that's the shot on that possession.”
Throughout Thursday's game, players up and down the roster carried out their assigned roles, and that simple execution led to the victory.
Before the game, Rivers talked about the importance of the Bucks' wing players sprinting up and down the floor, filling in the corners where Antetokounmpo and Lillard bring the ball. In the second quarter, Beasley sprinted to the corner and still managed to get his feet together to convert a pass from Antetokounmpo for a 3.
“He's been an unbelievable addition to our team,” Antetokounmpo said of Beasley. “He's doing his job. But lately he's starting to get defensive. Usually when he's moving his feet correctly, he's getting into players, moving his feet, creating tough situations, When he doesn't get screened and goes the other way, he spaces the floor very well. He sprinted to the corner in the first half, made the catch, made the shot, and made it. ) was one of the toughest today.”
Beasley's job was a little easier to execute on the Bucs' final bucket of the first half.
On that possession, Beasley remained in his position in the right corner as his teammates worked diligently throughout the possession. First, Lillard made a simple pocket pass to Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo then sent a pass to Portis, and finally Portis made another pass to Beasley in the corner.
Hot 3-point shooting (9 of 18) in the first half put them in good position for the win in the second half, but everyone on the roster had to do their part to close out the road win. At the start of the fourth quarter, the Bucks looked a little sluggish and the Hornets looked poised for a comeback, but then Patrick Beverley brought some energy off the bench.
To start the fourth quarter, Beverley picked up the pace repeatedly, assisting on the Bucs' first three baskets. Among them was a drive-and-kick look to Lopez that forced Clifford to take a timeout 3 1/2 minutes into the final frame. .
“Coach (Rivers) came over and the first thing he said was, 'Great win for a professional,'” Beasley said after the game. “Those games are trap games. We just played them. We beat them by a wide margin. When they come home, they can easily come out and jump on us. So we made sure we threw the first punch.”
On Friday, the Bucks will get another chance to do it all over again on the second night of a back-to-back in a nationally televised game in Chicago. Even with a win over the Bulls, no one outside of Milwaukee will seriously consider the Bucks as a title contender. But that doesn't matter because the Bucks know they have a job to do. And they know they need to get it done after the All-Star break.
(Photo of Tre Mann and Giannis Antetokounmpo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
