Bucks Zone

Milwaukee Bucks' defensive woes come back to the fore once again: "We were trading baskets. That's not who we are"

It’s back to the drawing board for the Bucks' defense.

Jonas Panerio

© Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

The Milwaukee Bucks’ offense is so incredible that it often glosses over their defensive shortcomings. On Christmas Day, those defensive woes were once again on full display as they lost to the New York Knicks, 129-122, to snap their seven-game winning streak.

After the game, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo discussed where they eventually fell short against their Eastern Conference rival.

“We were trading baskets,” Giannis said. “That’s not who we are.”

Lackluster defensive stand

Down by 14 in the fourth quarter, the Bucks made one last push and scored seven points courtesy of Giannis, Damian Lillard, and Khris Middleton. However, that brief offensive burst did little to put a dent into the deficit as the Knicks had answered every basket the Bucks made in that run.

“We cannot trade baskets. In order for you to make a run, get back into the game, you cannot trade baskets,” Giannis, who had a spectacular game with 32 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, assessed.

Good D, better O

The Bucks’ other superstar, Damian Lillard, concurred with his teammate’s evaluation of their performance in the loss, saying they played good defense but couldn’t get over the hump.

“We contested a little bit better in the short mid-range, the short 2s. They were able to get cleaner looks, some second-chance opportunities, some scramble situations where they fell into some timely 3s. We just weren’t able to have those stretches where we were good in those moments,” Lillard, who tallied 32 points and eight assists, said.

“On the road, a team you just beat, it’s tough to win a game when you’re giving those up.”

AJ Green shares how he tries to stay ready to shoot and make shots despite the limited minutes and opportunities

Published
Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO