SUMMARY
- The Bucks lost their second consecutive games after a thrilling end by the Lakers.
- Damian Lillard's signature game-winning shot was blocked by Spencer Dinwiddie.
Doc Rivers is going to have some serious criticism coming his way following the Milwaukee Bucks’ second loss in a row. The Bucks have been playing comparatively better since the All-Star break. But their recent losses have attracted a lot of scrutiny from their fanbase. Milwaukee had a decent enough lead against the Los Angeles Lakers last night, but the final play ended tragically.
Blocked by Dinwiddie! 🚫
LAKERS HOLD OFF THE BUCKS IN LA ‼️ pic.twitter.com/XwOw28yLuv
— NBA (@NBA) March 9, 2024
After D’Angelo Russell stood two shots to give the Lakers a one-point lead, the final play was drawn for Damian Lillard to get the last shot. Rivers wanted Lillard to catch the inbound pass and shoot a midrange field goal. However, Spencer Dinwiddie was able to calculate Lillard’s movements to counter the game-winner with an exceptional block. After the play, Rivers claimed he was willing to live with the gruesome ending.
Doc Rivers is willing to live with Damian Lillard’s botched game-winning play
During the postgame interview, the 8x NBA All-Star point guard claimed that the Lakers played exceptionally smart defense. Lillard stated players usually plant their feet at a certain point while contesting a shot. He expected his step-back move to create enough space. However, Dinwiddie was smart for almost mimicking Lillard’s movement to get the block. Doc Rivers also gave props to Dinwiddie for his efforts.
Doc Rivers, on the last play: “It was just an ISO for Dame.”
Why that play?
Rivers: “Not a lot of time. (Lillard) wanted a quick action. He’s pretty good one-on-one. So just, give Dinwiddie credit, he did a great job.” https://t.co/NivYcXhiDk
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) March 9, 2024
He said, “It was just an ISO for Dame… Not a lot of time. (Lillard) wanted a quick action. He’s pretty good one-on-one. So just, give Dinwiddie credit, he did a great job.” Rivers had no other explanation to it and he stated that he is willing to accept defeat. During the press conference, he claimed that such mistakes are acceptable only during the regular season. However, they cannot allow this to happen during the playoffs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo defended Doc Rivers’ last-minute mishap
Based on the explanations Lillard and Coach Rivers had, this was probably a major learning curve for the Bucks team. Giannis Antetokounmpo also addressed the play after the game. Interestingly, he backed Doc Rivers by saying, “Give the ball to the best closer in this game today to make a play. And, whatever the outcome of that play is, you gotta live with that.”
Lillard has been in situations like this before. We all remember when the Bucks point guard drained a deep-range three-pointer over Paul George in the 2019 NBA Playoffs. Similarly, he has been in multiple situations where he was asked to take the last shot. But only this time, the Lakers countered his movements to capture the victory. The Bucks previously lost against the Golden State Warriors by 35 points. Rivers admitted that they haven’t been great on defense as well.