The Milwaukee Bucks prevailed through some gruesome circumstances when winning against the Miami Heat today. The game was postponed by an hour since the team arrived home just hours before. The team as a whole didn’t have time to rest. They went straight to the Fiserv Forum. However, even though they were short of rest and hadn’t had a real practice before the game, it didn’t change the squad’s aim when arriving in Milwaukee.

“I think us telling them we want to play this game and that we are not canceling this game I think helped their mental early,” Rivers admitted. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard were the ones who took the initiative of the same. However, even then, the team wasn’t sure how the logistics would work. “We didn’t know if we were going to play the game but we felt like it was important to say that because we didn’t want them thinking this is a 50-50 thing,” said the Bucks head coach.

The team understandably started off sluggish. The Bucks went down by 15 early in the first quarter. However, their spirited approach prior to the game helped the team turn the game around. By halftime, they scored 70 points. In addition, they didn’t lose their concentration since taking the lead in the second quarter.

But even though they had a strong resolve to play, Doc Rivers’ time in New Orleans was strange. “It was weird. You know what’s weird is just sitting in a dang hotel room for three days with no basketball. Nothing to do,” he said in his press conference. The snowstorm had prevented them from any movement. Most roads were closed.

Likewise, Rivers and the team became well acclimated with the Four Seasons staff who were also forced to sleep in the hotel. “We were happy they were snowed because that meant we had somebody working at the hotel. But we got to know each other very well everybody because it was the same group of people,” the Bucks HC mentioned.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard share their experience

As a coach, Rivers’ impatience was characterized by the inability to study the Heat or even overlook practice. But for the players, it was a totally different experience. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who compiled 25 points and 12 rebounds tonight hadn’t touched the basketball floor until they arrived at the arena.

While stuck at the Four Seasons in New Orleans, the two-time MVP could only go to the ballroom to shoot a ball at the wall. But there was only so much they could do to stay active. So instead, he indulged in a delicacy frequently. “Ate a lot of gumbo. A lot of gumbo man. And I got tired of gumbo,” he admitted.

On the other hand, Damian Lillard didn’t seem to be a player that hadn’t practiced in three days. However, for him personally, he enjoys the mental hurdles that such opportunities present. His ways of staying mobile included going to the gym. But being confined to the hotel room aside from that, he decided to catch up on some shows.

“Started watching a couple of shows on Netflix just with all the downtime. Each day I just tried to get up out of the room and go to the gym and move my body around so I don’t get a little too stiff,” he said after the win against the Heat. Still, he was able to perform at his elite standards, leading the charge with his near 29-point triple-double performance.

For the Milwaukee Bucks who have been in fine rhythm over the last few weeks, this game had the potential to put a stop to their momentum. But the side’s resilience and drive to just perform outweighed the lethargy that must have arguably set in. The win was a testament to their solid resolve and a major confidence booster.