If a team with 4 wins from 4 and a team with 5 losses from 5 go head-to-head, there’s only one favourite. But life doesn’t work that way, something the Bucks proved to us when they lost to the Orlando Magic by a close 109-111 margin. Coach Doc Rivers now faces a wake-up call. They’re 8/2 in their last 10, and sit 4th in the East. But one more loss and they’re leapfrogged by the Pacers. But the hopes are still high in the Milwaukee locker room.

With Doc at the helm and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the spearhead, they’re destined for greatness. But they can’t afford to lose to Orlando the way they did, along with the momentum they carried into the game. There’s growing concern of the team becoming a one-man show. There are growing concerns about the team becoming a one-man show. However, during the post-game press conference, Coach Rivers rallied the troops, motivating them for the next game. For the locker room, it’s exactly what the Doc ordered.

“The other locker room played harder than us tonight. I think we can see that. I thought we fought back which tells us how resilient we are. We believe we can win games when we don’t play well and we almost pulled that off tonight which is a very good thing,” said Doc Rivers in the interview.

Humble from the very beginning. They didn’t deserve to win the game regardless of the scoreline. Doc knows, the team knows, and the fans know. But the first thing they have to do is retrospect in order to bounce back.

Coach Rivers highlighted this perfectly when he said “They’ve lost 5 in a row. You can tell your team that a thousand times, and I used 2 timeouts just to tell them that they were gonna play harder, they’re gonna be desperate, and they were looking for somebody to beat, and tonight it’s you. And they did that. So give them credit. I thought [if] we done won the game, you know, it would’ve been a steal tonight, you know, it’s one of those games where yeah we could’ve won the game.”

Beyond just the loss, internal tensions within the Bucks’ locker room have also come under the spotlight, particularly between head coach Doc Rivers and star player Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Doc Rivers and Giannis close to meltdown days ago

It’s easy to forget your attitude when you’re a player like the Greek god. Giannis is one of this generation’s greatest. And his performances to help the Bucks with their 2021 ring was more than enough to cement his legacy. But Doc wasn’t having what Giannis was serving at the court, even after he surpassed 20,000 regular season points vs the Mavs a few days ago.

The coach’s word is final. Doesn’t matter who you are- you gotta stay in line. But after the Greek Freak refused to listen to Doc’s game plan in the locker room, there was only one thing he could say. “Hey Giannis. 30,000, what is it? 20,000. I got some more for you… Your plus-minus today was a plus 30. Having said that, the next time I draw up a play and you’re looking at the video, we’re gonna have a problem,” said Rivers to his talisman.

When two passionate competitors play together, occasional clashes are inevitable. This isn’t a major issue—just a misunderstanding that both have moved past.

But the going is going to get tough for the Bucks. With a critical showdown against a surging Cavaliers squad, the Bucks must quickly regain their focus. Their response to adversity in the coming games will reveal whether they remain true contenders or risk slipping further in the standings