A month ago, when his team had only won two games out of ten, we wondered if Doc Rivers would spend the winter in Wisconsin, and whether the Bucks or the Sixers were the biggest flop at the start of the season .
Today, Giannis Antetokounmpo and his teammates validated their ticket to Las Vegas, and the winners of the Magic remain on 11 victories in 14 matches. They are the only team to qualify for the NBA Cup semifinals two years in a row.
“It’s huge for us, and it’s what we wanted to do”, reacted Doc Rivers. “You set a goal and you try to achieve it, right? Our goal is not just to go to Vegas, we want to win. We still have two games left, but it's good to get there. We had to get there first and that’s what we did. »
A surplus of competition
To achieve this, we already had to get rid of the Magic, the best defense in the Eastern Conference. Even without its two star players, the Orlando team remains tenacious and difficult to maneuver. And in a high-stakes match, Damian Lillard quickly saw the difference with classic regular season opposition.
“As an athlete, I enjoy the competitive side”admits the All-Star leader. “I think it forces you to be a little sharper and more engaged. The slightest slip-up or the slightest lack of involvement will end up harming your team. A few times tonight I was attacking and thought a system was going to come together, but I didn't pass the ball at the right time or accurately enough and the ball was deflected simply because of their activity and their physical dimension. The moments where we had lapses, I think their energy, their physicality and their identity ended up taking over. »
Confidence and assurance
For Bobby Portis, the situation is not the same as last season. A year ago, the Bucks were favorites, and a qualification to the semi-finals was logical and expected by everyone. This season, it is about confirming the constant progress over the past month.
“Last year, there was a lot of waiting around our team,” recalls Bobby Portis, X factor of the meeting with his 22 points at 9 out of 11. “That’s why it’s more unique this year, given how we started the season. We're only two games above 50%, but I like the makeup of our team right now. I like the confidence and poise that everyone plays with. I like the understanding between us, the way things improve from match to match. And I love Vegas.”
