Bucks Zone

Adrian Griffin says no excuses as Bucks pick up handy win against shorthanded Nets

Coach Griffin argues Bucks won fair and square against the shorthanded Nets.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

As the Brooklyn Nets have interestingly pulled out the majority of their rotational pieces in their Wednesday clash, many fans dished their notion that the Milwaukee Bucks just gained a free and effortless win in the wake of this intriguing roster move they faced.

But in the minds of coach Adrian Griffin, the Bucks still deserve some respect and acknowledgment for exerting their play with such eagerness to pick up the victory on the road against the undermanned Nets squad.

A full-effort win

In the post-game interview of their 144-122 dub, Griffin pointed out that Milwaukee just rode the flow and performed like what they must have to do amid the resting of players made by Brooklyn.

"It was up and down, obviously. Excuse me, but these games, you just try to find a way to win the game. Defensively it was tough to try to find some rhythm and continuity. I think we gave up 40 points in the paint during first half and then 30 points in the second half," he said.

"But again, [we are] making no excuses. We've been in New York for five days or six, and it's been a lot. You gotta tip your hat off to Brooklyn because they competed. They kept competing."

Hats off

Despite the Nets' insertion of unknown two-way players and rookies to their rotation, they could still stand up boldly against the gigantic Bucks squad. The ball game was competitively tight in the first three quarters until Milwaukee burst away with 44 final-period points to wrap up their trip in New York with a win.

In the wake of the narratives that try to dismiss their triumph, Griffin remains unmoved by the fact that the matchup helped them return to the win column after splitting their back-to-backs against the Knicks.

"They knew they were kind of undermanned, but I think [Jacque Vaughn] is doing a phenomenal job there," Griffin said. "But we took care of business and again, games like this, you've just got to find a way to win and get ready for Cleveland."

"I don't know most of them" - Giannis reacts to facing a Nets team missing several key players

Published
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.