“Gonna Avoid Them”: Doc Rivers Again Rips Team Staff’s Wound As Bucks’ Misery Continues vs Pacers

Doc Rivers, short of answers, blamed it on support staff once again. The Milwaukee Bucks’ playoff jinx continues to ruin their postseason run. While Giannis Antetokounmpo has yet to lace up for the playoffs, Damian Lillard joined him with an ankle injury. Apart from that, the medical staff also had a tough night, dealing with multiple injuries during the Game 4 loss. Addressing the grave injury situation, Rivers took his frustrations out on the support staff.

Speaking in the post-game press conference, Rivers dropped an unsympathetic response when a reporter asked about the efforts of medical staff. He said, “I have not talked to our medical guys cuz I want to have some good news for about five minutes… every time I talk to them it’s not good news… maybe if I don’t talk to them they’ll be okay so I’m going to avoid them for the rest of the night.”

This isn’t the first time Doc Rivers went after his support staff after a loss. During the late end of the regular season, he pulled off a similar response. After losing three straight games against less competitive teams, he blamed it on the logistics team. 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,” speaking of the travel crew.

While blaming it on the support staff isn’t the ideal way, Rivers sure does have a lot on his plate, especially after coming into the post-season. The Greek Freak Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a left calf injury days before the playoffs and he hasn’t suited up yet for the side. On top of that, Lillard could miss the remainder of the season with an Achilles tendon injury. Moreover, the situation worsened tonight, and the Bucks’ postseason might end early.

Will the Bucks produce a magical comeback?

The Bucks are currently having a repeat of their disappointing 2023 playoff run. During the 2023 playoff first round, Giannis Antetokounmpo missed two games with a back injury. It eventually helped the 8th-seeding Miami Heat to defeat the top-seeding Bucks. However, this season, they have not just one injury but two superstars ruled out.

Currently, the Indiana Pacers are 3-1 up in the series and one win against a short-handed Bucks will push them into the Conference semi-finals. Not taking away the efforts of the rest of the roster, Doc Rivers himself revealed that Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton were also injured during Game 4.

Middleton was already on the injury report with an ankle issue but played tonight, scoring 25 points with 10 rebounds. In between the game, the sharpshooter went to the locker room for a quick fix and returned to the floor. So with the current injury woes, the Bucks look far from making a comeback.