Home/NBA

USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

Doc Rivers stood at the firing line after tonight’s loss and took the blame. The Milwaukee Bucks lost five out of their last 6 games. And three of the losses were against the teams with below .500 percentage. With only days left for the postseason, the Bucks’ shaky form put them far from favorites to win the ring. However, Rivers seemed to still have belief on his side.

During the post-game press conference, the veteran coach took the blame upon himself. He said, “The last three were against three bad teams. To me, that’s inexcusable. For all of us. As I told them, this is on me. I gotta figure out what we gotta do to play at a higher pace.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Tonight, the Bucks took on the 12th-seeding Toronto Raptors, after falling short against the Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies in a back-to-back game. The Raptors haven’t been the same side that started the season. The team had 50% of its players on the injury report and they were on a 15-game losing streak before winning the game tonight.

Keeping the embarrassing loss aside, Doc Rivers pointed out the travel crew for the recent slump a few days ago. Speaking of the travel crew, he said, “I’ve made a lot of notes… We don’t bring the necessary professionalism, seriousness on the road. And that’s something we can fix. And that’s something we’re going to have to fix.”

However, after tonight’s loss, Rivers didn’t point his fingers at any other departments on the team but pointed to himself. Above all, he has a lot of work left in front of him to keep the Bucks floating in the 2nd seed. They have five more games left in the regular season and also have the Cleveland Cavaliers breathing under their nose to take the second seed.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Did the Bucks commit a blunder by replacing Griffin with Doc Rivers?

Considering the team’s record after the Doc Rivers replacement, it looks like the Bucks have committed a blunder. During Rivers’ tenure, the Bucks have a poor 15-16 record. The 62-year-old has another 5 games to improve his record before the end of the regular season.

Meanwhile, the former coach Adrian Griffin had an impressive 30-13 record before getting sacked. In late January 2024, the Bucks stunned the NBA world by sacking Griffin despite the team’s impressive run. Several reports stated that the team had this decision long time in the making. Notably, the primary reason behind this decision was, the star players and Griffin weren’t on the same page.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Despite the criticisms, Rivers has a notable playoff record of 111-104 and also was named as the NBA’s 15 greatest coach of all time, two years ago. Will he save his reputation and win the title for the Bucks? Let us know in the comments.

Read More – Doc Rivers Shockingly Snubs Damian Lillard for Warriors Star 7 Years After Parting Ways