Bucks head coach Doc Rivers praised the return of Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee’s 112-103 win over Chicago. “As far as minutes go, I thought it worked really well. We wanted to save minutes in the first half so we can give him three rotations in the second half,” Rivers said, noting the two-time MVP played 25 minutes and scored 29 points.
Rivers highlighted Giannis’ influence beyond scoring. “It’s also his gravity… when the team is running and you have him on the ground, you feel like you’re going to get a bucket or a good shot… you don’t go into a long drought when Giannis is on the ground,” he said, highlighting his effect on his teammates’ confidence.
The coach discussed Milwaukee’s strategic spacing and ball movement. “When you use the guards… when you’re off the ball, you pick a roller… when you’re on the ball, guys are slipping and you’re going downhill… The spacing was fantastic,” Rivers explained, praising the team’s execution on pick-and-rolls and open shots.
Ryan Rollins’ contributions caught Rivers’ attention. “Ryan hits those two big shots… he had that good two-man relationship with Giannis… so he could get right back in,” Rivers said, highlighting the guard’s confidence and timing in key moments.
Rivers also noted the benefits of having multiple players who can attack the rim. “Three guys who can attack… Myles gets more open shots because of it… we didn’t want Giannis to play heavy with the ball tonight,” he said, referring to the combined impact of Kevin Porter Jr., AJ Green and Myles Turner.
The coach talked about AJ Green’s late-game performance. “We called timeout… came out and got a 3-pointer for AJ… that shot will hopefully lead to all the next shots to come,” Rivers said, underscoring the importance of designing plays for shooters even after previous misses.
Rivers also discussed Milwaukee’s presence domestically. “Another rim protector… him and Myles together… we got five offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter… a lot of little things that go with that,” he said, pointing to the Bucks’ control of the glass in key stretches.
Despite a thrilling final sequence, Rivers downplayed any incident involving Chicago. “The closing moments… he just came back for his first match, and he’s happy to be back… certainly not the Malice at the Palace,” he said, emphasizing the competitive but controlled nature of the match.
Milwaukee shot 47% from the field and 36% from three while outscoring Chicago 52-42. The Bucks improve to 13-19 overall and 9-8 with Giannis active, looking to build momentum ahead of Monday’s game against Charlotte.
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