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Eric WoodyardESPN
The mood in the Milwaukee Bucks locker room was “a little quiet,” according to newcomer Bobby Portis, after a 124-113 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night.
But while MVP back Giannis Antetokounmpo acknowledged some frustration after the Bucks’ fourth straight loss, he said there was no reason for the team not to stay focused and calm.
“I kind of feel like everyone is in a panic mode, which shouldn’t be the case,” said Antetokounmpo, who had 34 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 steals in defeat. “We should keep improving, we should keep playing good basketball, we should watch the movie and at the end of the day we should go out there and compete. When you come here, nothing can be easy.”
Once again, Bucks ‘Achilles’ heel proved to be the fourth quarter, when they were beaten 12-4 in the last five minutes.
They are now 0-9, after three quarters this season, and came into the night with the second lowest win rate in games that have reached clutch time this season at 22%, according to ESPN Stats & Research Information. Only the Detroit Pistons (20%) are worse.
Clutch time is defined as any time when the score is five points in the last five minutes and can be at any time during that period.
“At the end of the day, we lost four in a row; we are not going home,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’re still here. It’s not the playoffs. Obviously, it’s frustrating. We want to win, especially a game like this. A great game, guys who play hard.
“You want to go out and win the game, but it doesn’t always go your way. But you always have to look at the bright side of it. You still have a chance on Thursday. So keep getting better, watch the movie, get better, keep everyone in a good place and it’s not the end of the world right now.
Milwaukee played without Jrue Holiday for the fifth game in a row as it remains out of health and safety protocols. Antetokounmpo said Bucks was missing Holiday’s presence on the pitch.
“We have to be better. Obviously, one of the best players on the team and the players and the best defenders on the team don’t play with us,” he said. “Obviously, it’s not an excuse. I’m not an apologetic guy. But it’s a big part of who we are and we need him.”
Raptors guard Fred VanVleet burned the Bucks with 33 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds in his fifth 30-point game this season. Toronto’s Kyle Lowry finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in 22 minutes, despite coming out in the third quarter with a painful left ankle.
Milwaukee (16-12) has not lost four consecutive Eastern Conference Finals in 2019 against the Raptors, who were eventual NBA champions that season.
These teams will meet again on Thursday at the Fiserv Forum, where the Bucks will look to make changes.
“No one is happy with the result, no one is feeling good about it, but your process and the way you approach it, you have to go back and look at things and see where you can improve,” said coach Bucks. , Mike Budenholzer.
Earlier, Bucks also announced during a press conference that they will take a step-by-step approach to hosting fans in the next three games, which will be open to player families only and guests only. They started with 250 fans on Tuesday and will increase it to 500 for Thursday’s game and 750 for Friday, before opening the games to the general public starting Sunday, when approximately 1,800 fans will be allowed.
Even with the fans back, they couldn’t avoid the last loss.
Raptors coach Nick Nurse, who has fought against Milwaukee on numerous occasions, including the postseason, said he does not see the Bucks fighting continuing.
“In a normal year, I would probably be a little surprised. But I think all sorts of things happen with more teams in the entire league and there are so many teams, with a few games above. 500 and a few below, as probably over half of the league, “the nurse said. “It simply came to our notice then. So I think they definitely have all the pieces and they have depth and they have experience and they have everything; and I think they are among a group of teams that will continue to play better in the second half and prepare for a long time in the playoffs. They have all the tools they need. “