Doc Rivers reveals Wizards’ ‘secret sauce’ after upset win over Bucks

The Washington Wizards have won two of their last three games after starting the season 1-15 and on Monday 129-126 win over the Milwaukee Bucks it was the type of performance that inspires hope for the future. Bucks coach Doc Rivers opened up to ClutchPoints about the Wizards young core postgame.

“They were fantastic today. They just play hard,” he said. “They’re a young team that has no fear. There’s no pressure on them with their record, so they just come out and play. If you let a team like that get close, they’re going to beat you. You know, one thing about them, (when) it comes down to the four-minute game, they’ve got two players in Khris Middleton and C.J. McCollum that know how to keep their secret and play the veteran secret. That’s what happened tonight.

To Rivers’ point, Middleton scored eight of his 15 points in the final four minutes and McCollum hit a contested step-back 3-pointer to give Washington a four-point lead with 15 seconds left. McCollum led the team with 28 points (11-21 FG, 4-11 3-point), while Middleton led the way with six assists.

None of them are part Wizards’ long-term plansas both are expiring contracts and the team wants to build around its young core. However, they have until February’s NBA trade deadline Washington trusted veterans who provide leadership on and off the field, which helps young players develop.

Aside from the elder statesmen, third-year guard Bilal Coulibaly has been a game-changer on defense. The 21-year-old recorded three steals and one block and was a nuisance for Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finished with five turnovers and six fouls (two offensive). The latter did have 26 points (10-17 FG, 0-1 3-pointer), but that was below his season average of 30.6.

Rivers explained what makes Koulibaly, who sealed the win by stealing the ball from Antetokounmpo and dunking over him in the dying seconds, such a tough defender.

“He just plays hard. Physical, long arms, athletic, strong,” he said.

Wizards coach Brian Keefe also credits Coulibaly postgame for the battle the “boss” of the defense, via the team’s social media.

Bilal Coulibaly must do 1 thing to reach the upper echelon

Washington couldn’t have asked for better defensive play from Coulibaly, but he managed just seven points (3-9 FG, 1-4 3-point) with two assists and three turnovers in 33 minutes. It was a quintessential performance from the 6-foot-7, 195-pounder, as he is shooting just 42.4 percent (30.9 percent from 3-point range) in his career.

Coulibaly’s efficiency is even worse this year, shooting 38.4 percent (28.9 percent from 3-point range) in 11 games played. Meanwhile, the NBA’s guards are shooting 44.5 percent (36.5 percent 3-pointers) overall this season, according to StatMuse.

If Coulibaly can even come close to the latter average, he has All-Star potential. But the Wizards will have a hard time giving the rising two-time star 30-plus minutes of playing time when they’re competitive if he continues his current shooting pace.

Regardless, the fact that Koulibaly can disrupt all-time greats like Antetokounmpo defensively gives him a path to being a long-term contributor. The question is whether the French international will be a player, an All-Star or something in between.

Coulibaly’s next chance to improve his offensive output is when Washington hosts the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night at 7:00 PM ET. After that, the team will return home to play the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.