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Bucks HC Doc Rivers breaks silence on controversial ending to Kings game
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- Bucks HC Doc Rivers breaks silence on controversial ending to Kings game
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The post Bucks HC Doc Rivers breaks silence on controversial ending to Kings game appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers didn't bite his tongue after a chaotic finish against the Sacramento Kings . In remarks shared on X by beat writer Eric Nehm, Rivers ran through a list of late whistles (and non-whistles) that stuck with him: possible contact on Giannis Antetokounmpo before a catch, an uncalled offensive goaltend on Russell Westbrook , and a technical on Gary Trent Jr.
"Having said all that, the refs have nothing to do with why we lost this game," Rivers added. "You gotta try hard to lose that game and I thought we did. I just thought our defense was not up to par."
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Milwaukee shot 59.8% from the field and still lost, falling 135–133 at Fiserv Forum. Sacramento lived at the line and cashed in, going 35-of-40 on free throws to the Bucks' 20-of-31. That gap loomed largest once the game slowed to a clutch crawl.
Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a workmanlike double-double , 26 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, yet never fully wrestled control of the fourth. Kyle Kuzma came roaring off the bench to keep Milwaukee in it, and AJ Green had a look at a late tying shot that Sacramento smartly wiped out with a foul before the release. The Kings' balance carried them as Zach LaVine , DeMar DeRozan , Domantas Sabonis , and Dennis Schroder all stacked 24-plus points in a whistle-heavy night.
The temperature spiked after a Russell Westbrook foul on Antetokounmpo sparked a brief scrum. Fan reaction matched the mood, with takes flying about lopsided officiating and missed calls in the final minutes.
Strip away the noise, and Rivers' bottom line still lands. Milwaukee surrendered 51.7% shooting and 35.7% from three, couldn't control the stripe, and gave Sacramento too many clean trips in crunch time. The Bucks' offense was efficient enough to win; their defense wasn't tight enough to close.
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The Bucks expected Giannis Antetokounmpo to suit up, and he did , so this wasn't a short-handed mulligan. It was a lesson in margins. A couple possessions, a couple calls, a handful of free throws. Rivers took accountability with his line; the officials didn't cost Milwaukee the game, Milwaukee's details did.
Related: Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, Myles Turner keep comments clean after loss to Kings
Related: Bucks' Cole Anthony ejected from Kings game after Russell Westbrook play
