An aggressive and stifling defense, a dominant Giannis Antetokounmpo, a Damian Lillard efficient and comfortable in his role as lieutenant, and second knives who set open shots. This is the recipe that the leaders of the Bucks had in mind when they built this team, and when they went to get Doc Rivers, and this is exactly the performance they produced to win the NBA Cup in authoritarian fashion against the Thunder.
Everything was obviously not perfect (19 lost balls, 42% on 2-pointers and 67% on free throws), but the Bucks have come so far. On November 10, a home defeat against Boston left them at 2 wins and 8 losses, in the depths of the Eastern Conference standings.
Since then, they have had 13 victories in their last 16 games, including this NBA Cup final which does not count for the regular season.
A real collective performance
“I don’t think we can put our bad start to the season completely behind us, but we have shown that we are no longer the same team,” martelait Damian Lillard. “What I am most proud of this evening is that we put out a real collective performance and the style was there. Everyone did their job. We defended. We played well throughout the match and I think that shows all the work we put in. To succeed in this performance during the most important match of the season is strong. And it’s not just the players. It starts from the video, the coaches, the training to be more united on both sides of the pitch. »
This reversal of the situation comes from the return of a base which is based on two solid pillars: Giannis Antetokounmpo and their defense. The 2024 NBA Cup MVP has been on cloud nine since the start of the season. He was the metronome of his team, even when the defeats piled up. In Las Vegas, he showed all his determination.
“That’s just the man he is. He is someone who is determined, whether in life or on the field, and I think that comes from his background,” explained Damian Lillard. “The path he took to become the superstar he is today was far from easy. And when you get to that point, you don’t want to stop. You have to keep going and that’s why he’s still doing all this. »
Objective, less than 80 points collected!
The second pillar for Milwaukee has always been defense, but their efficiency on that side of the floor has been in free fall since the firing of Mike Budenholzer. Last night, they put on a defensive display against an opponent who statistically has the best defense in the NBA this season. This performance is the pinnacle of a steady progression over the last 15 games.
“Our defense is much better. In the first ten games of the season we were the worst defense in the NBA and now I think we are in the Top 10 (editor’s note: 13th in fact).” rejoiced Giannis Antetokounmpo. “The team we just played had scored at least 100 points in all their games this season and we managed to hold them to 81! We are making progress. Give us a little more time, and we’ll continue to build on these last few weeks. »
Doc Rivers also explained that the Bucks had additional motivation this night. “All they’ve heard since the semi-finals is how strong the opposition defense was and I think that gave them a boost. Besides, if you look at the images, you will see that when they scored their last basket, our bench was furious because they wanted to keep them under 80 points! »
Damien Lillard was also pleased with the defensive rigor of his team last night. During the first month of the season, the Bucks were unable to maintain their defensive intensity and concentration for long stretches. In the final, they were able to do it during the 48 minutes, and they were also able to step up after the break.
A Cavaliers – Bucks from Friday!
“We continued to show them players, we didn’t give them any space. And we were also united, no one was left alone, isolated with a player. We were serious in our helping positions. We were physical, we controlled the rebound and as a result we didn’t give them a second or third chance because that’s how they generally kill their opponents. »
The Bucks were therefore satisfied after the meeting. Satisfied that I did the job and did it well. Now the hard part begins. They must return to the normality of the regular season by continuing in “back-to-back” in Cleveland on Friday and against Washington on Saturday.
“We must remain humble, we cannot rest on our laurels. We have too many games left,” warns Giannis Antetokounmpo who asked his teammates to enjoy the evening before quickly putting their heads back together. “We play Cleveland on Friday, and they can’t wait to play us. Emotions are strong this evening but we will have to quickly come down to earth. Once we take off tomorrow, we’ll have to get back to work. »
Comments collected in Las Vegas.
