Since Doc Rivers took control of the Bucks, the team has a negative record: 15 wins for 16 losses. The transplant did not take, and this month of April turned into a nightmare with five defeats in six matches, including three in a row against teams on vacation: the Wizards, the Grizzlies and the Raptors.
“The last three defeats are against very bad teams, and for me, that is inexcusable. For all of us ! » loose Doc Rivers press conference. ” I'm frustrated. And they are frustrated. I think it's a good thing. But that won't lead anywhere. Frustration leads nowhere. We must strive to overcome this ordeal. We feel it. We literally feel it. We feel it during the match. And we have to go through that. I have been there. I lived them. And you have to get through it. Even one of the referees told me: “You can feel a weight on your team at the moment”. I said yes. And it happens. But we have to be ourselves through this.”
The frustration is mounting…
Last night's defeat is all the more “inexcusable” as it was conceded against the Raptors, who had 15 consecutive defeats! Certainly, Giannis Antetokounmpo was spared, but Damian Lillard was back, and Khris Middleton was there. The All-Star winger missed the winning basket, but the Bucks did not deserve to win.
“Losing three matches in a row like this and against these teams is frustrating,” confirms Khris Middleton. “We don't want to disrespect the opponents, but when you think about it, we should be able to manage these teams. Especially given our goals. We fight for the ultimate goal. So it's frustrating to have lost these three matches, not to have been able to make the break, but we also have to find ways to improve, to prepare ourselves to play against these types of teams. »
While the Bucks only need one victory to qualify for the playoffs, they are forced to monitor what is happening behind them. If the Cavaliers are not at their best, on the other hand, things are honking loudly behind them, and if Milwaukee continues to lose, the team could go much lower.
Lillard has had such periods before
“It’s frustrating because we are much better than that. You can't take anything away from these teams, because they're still NBA teams, and if you let the guys gain confidence, it can become dangerous and that's what happened in all three games.” Lillard analyzes. “At the end of the day, I feel like we’re a lot better than that.” We are a more mature and responsible team than we have shown. But that's part of the game. Nobody wants to hear it. But that’s part of the game.”
And then Lillard has already gone through these moments of doubt with the Blazers, especially at the end of the season. What if it was a blessing in disguise before heading into the playoffs?
“I feel like that's the kind of difficulty that unites a team…I just told Brook (Lopez) that I've never lost three games in a row against the worst teams in the league. On the other hand, I had a similar experience several times, at the end of the season, and I said to myself: “What do we do? What is happening ? » I think we've all experienced this before. But it’s not a lack of effort or attention. It just feels like things aren't going our way right now. We know what we are capable of. We know this is unacceptable. But it's not like we can go back and change things at this point, so we need to get our act together. We have to give our best before the end of the season.”
