© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Adrian Griffin says failed In-Season Tournament campaign will do wonders for the Milwaukee Bucks
What was once a promising campaign ended in a semifinal exit as the Milwaukee Bucks missed the chance to compete for the inaugural NBA In-Season trophy after they lost to the Indiana Pacers in their knockout duel on Thursday night, 119-128, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The loss was a bitter pill to swallow for the Bucks, as expectations were high for them after they made it to the semis with a perfect 5-0 IST record.
There's a lesson to be learned from the loss
In the end, the Bucks couldn't get the job done as they faltered at the finish when they allowed the Pacers to close the game with a fatal 21-13 run.
Coach Adrian Griffin said they may have fallen short, but their In-Season Tournament was a great learning process for the team.
"It's not the outcome that we wanted, but we made it to Vegas, and we got to experience this. And I think it's going to do wonders for our team. You always learn in wins, and you learn in losses," said Griffin.
Poor rebounding effort proves costly
Griffin said one of the things that they have to learn better is how to control the boards. The first-year Milwaukee coach lamented that the Bucks gave up too many offensive rebounds that led to second-chance points.
The Pacers out-rebounded the Bucks 51-46 and held a 15-12 edge on offensive rebounds.
"You give 15 offensive boards or 23 second-chance points, it's going to be tough to beat anybody. That's where the game was. We just got to do better; we got to turn and find a body," Griffin said.
The Pacers' final offensive rebound in the contest came in the last minute, and it practically sealed the game's outcome.
Tyrese Haliburton misfired a three-pointer but secured the offensive rebound with 59.1 seconds left. The offensive board turned out to be crucial as it led to a Haliburton triple that gave the Pacers a safe 122-114 lead with only 48 seconds left.
"If we rebounded a little bit better, it would probably be a different outcome. But this is also an opportunity for us to learn and grow from, and we'll be better," Griffin concluded.
