'They Came to Win': Spurs Outmuscle Title Contenders in Bucks

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the 2021 NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night 111-93 behind a strong paint presence.

For the San Antonio Spurs, taking on a team with legitimate NBA championship aspirations such as the Milwaukee Bucks is a tall order. 

Add on to the fact that the team was down players such as Zach Collins, made this Saturday night route an even bigger deal. 

“We loved the win,” Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said. “It was great. Our guys played great. Of course, they were undermanned like crazy, but you go out and you play whoever is out there."

And if anybody knows a title contenders when they see one, it is Popovich: sporting five of those championship rings over his tenure with the Spurs. 

"They came to win, (they are) deep, obviously well-coached. They got a great shot to go get this thing done (and win a championship).”

San Antonio made its presence felt on the interior all game long, recording 13 blocks on the evening, with Jakob Poeltl and Charles Bassey leading the way with four a piece. 

“We knew they were going to come out, they still have good players," wing Keldon Johnson said. "They won a championship. We knew they know how to win, so we knew if we came out lackadaisical that it could be a long night for us.”

In total, the Spurs held Milwaukee to 32.7 percent shooting from the field and 27.9 percent from beyond the arc. 

Jevon Carter (21), Brook Lopez (19), and Bobby Portis (16) combined for 56 points, but the rest of the team struggled to get much going against the tenacious Spurs defense. 

San Antonio returns to action on Monday when they begin a five-game road trip beginning with another NBA title contender in the Golden State Warriors. 

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