Doc Rivers reveals how Milwaukee overcame a shooting deficit to beat the Hornets

MILWAUKEE – Las Vegas – host of the NBA Cup tournament – was the topic again at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Nov. 14, as the Bucks hosted the Charlotte Hornets in the second group game of the NBA Cup. And Lady Luck ended up favoring the home team that night, as the Bucks outlasted the Hornets, 147-134, in a wild back-and-forth game that saw 32 lead changes and needed overtime to finish.

The win prevented back-to-back losses for Milwaukee: The Bucks fell to these same Hornets in North Carolina on Nov. 12.

Avoiding back-to-back losses means a little more to the Milwaukee fan base, especially after the team’s star, Giannis Antetokounmpohe said back in April: “Good teams don’t lose two in a row.

The Bucks and Hornets trade leads 32 times in a thrilling NBA Cup game

Milwaukee wasn’t the better team in the first half, as Antetokounmpo was slow to start. Antetokounmpo, however, shared early and often, and while he had time to warm up, he was adept at finding open teammates throughout the night. It was also a return to action for the Bucks superstar, as he was did not play in Charlotte due to knee tendinitis.

But the Hornets hit from deep, capitalizing on Bucks turnovers and getting to the free throw line. Miles Bridges and Kon Knueppel led the productive game, and the two helped Charlotte take a 61-69 halftime lead.

Late in the third, though, Myles Turner hit a 3 and then Ryan Rollins hit one of his own to tie the game, 83-83, with more than six minutes left.

But about 10 minutes into the fourth, a Flagrant 1 major foul was called against Cole Anthony – he fouled Miles Bridges – much to the chagrin of the Bucks faithful. Bridges made two FTs and then scored two on the ensuing possession. That run gave Charlotte the lead, 106-107, and the momentum.

The last few minutes were excruciating. Kuzma’s shots, Anthony’s fast breaks and Antetokounmpo’s flurry of assists were answered by the exceptional play of Knuepel and Bridges. The former hit a massive 3 off a turnover to score his 32nd point of the game – (career best) – which tied the contest at 129 apiece. This ended up being the final score in regulation.

But in overtime, two straight 3-pointers from Turner allowed the Bucks to take a 135-131 lead. In the end, a four-point breather was just what Milwaukee needed. They went on to win by 13 points.

The Bucks weren’t great all the time, but good enough to win

Rivers blamed turnovers, especially early in the game, for why the Hornets were able to hang on for the first four quarters. The Bucks made 22 in the game, compared to 13 for Charlotte.

“They had 13 more shots and (six) more free throw (attempts),” Rivers explained. “We had to shoot 65% to win… To shoot 65% and you go to overtime says a lot.

While it wasn’t a Grade A performance from top to bottom, there were more bright spots for the Bucks in a thrilling win.

Antetokounmpo continued his MVP-caliber season with another outstanding stat line. He finished with a double-double, scoring 25, dishing out 18 assists and grabbing seven rebounds along with two steals and a block. Seven other Bucks players finished in double figures.

However, perhaps the best player of the night for Milwaukee was Kuzma. The NBA veteran, in his second start of the season, had a season-high 29 points, which led the team. He also finished with a double-double, grabbing 10 rebounds to go along with five assists and four steals.

“I thought we needed size on the defensive end,” Rivers said of starting Kuzma. “I love Cuz with that group.”

Kudos to the young Charlotte team, they were boosted by a spectacular play by Wisconsin’s Kon Knuepel. The rookie guard finished with 32 points on 60% shooting (4-9 from 3-point range). Bridges also scored 32 for the Hornets and grabbed seven rebounds.

With “good teams” not losing two in a row, Milwaukee fans will be able to breathe a sigh of relief as the Bucks host the Los Angeles Lakers next night on November 15th.