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Adrian Griffin says failed In-Season Tournament campaign will do wonders for the Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks’ In-Season Tournament campaign came to a disappointing finish.

Matthew Dugandzic

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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.

The Milwaukee Bucks booted out of In-Season Tournament, lose to the Indiana Pacers in semis

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.