Doc Rivers explains the intriguing DNP against the Celtics’ Kyle Kuzma
What’s happening in Milwaukee? Over the last few games, Kyle Kuzma was a solid player for Milwaukee Bucks. With Giannis Antetokounmpo out, Kuzma played good complementary basketball in place of the star. With Antetokounmpo returning against the short-handed Boston Celticsthe former NBA champion was expected to move to the bench.
Indeed, Kuzma went to the bench to start the Bucks game against the Celtics. However, Kuzma never left the bench during the game, not logging a single minute of action in a loss to a Jaylen Brown-less Boston team. When asked why he was put on the bench, the head coach Doc Rivers said he decided not to play striker, by Eric Nehm.
While Kuzma’s play hasn’t been up to par this season, the forward has played better over the last four games. He averaged 16 points per game over the last four games, with nearly four rebounds and just under three assists. Given that the Bucks were shut out for most of the game, it’s interesting why Rivers chose not to give the forward a chance to possibly contribute.
In the last three games, the Bucks have lost a total of 78 points. It’s a worrying trend, especially after they’ve just come off a stretch where they’ve won eight of their last ten games. When asked about the losing streak, Rivers had this to say.
“I don’t care about the points. I just care about how we play. We played great, and we lost our way a little bit and I think it’s on both sides. I think offensively, we had a great rhythm and we did it in spurts in the last three games, but we couldn’t hold on.”
The Bucks will play against the Atlanta Hawks on March 4.
2026-03-03 05:00:00
