Jason Kidd’s Milwaukee Bucks looked like they finally had solved the puzzle laid forth by the San Antonio Spurs when they cut the deficit to six early in the third quarter. But then, the team with the second best record in the NBA went on its run.
The Bucks trailed by 10 at the half but came out strong from the break, cutting the lead down to six. After a turnover by Tim Duncan, the Bucks had a chance to make it just a three- or four-point lead, but after they missed that opportunity, San Antonio took over. The Spurs mounted a 15-1 run, their suffocating defense forcing a five-minute scoring drought, as the Bucks fell 95-70.
“It was a six-point game in the third. Their defense is very good, but we still had an opportunity there in the third,” Jason said. “We’ve done this before, where we get it to five or six—it’s like the magic number of us to stop playing, and that’s what happened.”
Milwaukee struggled to find its shot against a tough Spurs defense. The Bucks shot just 30 percent in the first quarter and trailed 28-21 after 12 minutes. San Antonio kept up the defensive pressure in the second, where the Bucks went just 5-of-20. Fortunately, in the second, Milwaukee’s own stout defense kept the game at a manageable 10-point deficit, 48-38, going into the half.
Khris Middleton came out firing after the break. He hit a long two, and a block by Tyler Ennis set up a bucket by Greg Monroe on the other end to cut the San Antonio lead to six. Middleton had eight points in the third quarter and finished with a team-high 16, while Monroe followed with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Duncan answered the Monroe bucket with one of his own, but the Bucks kept firing. On the next possession, Giannis Antetokounmpo was left open and drained an 18-footer to keep the deficit at six, 50-44. But after that, the wheels fell off for Milwaukee.
“We talked about their runs and talked about how they can go up early in the game, but we have to stay the course,” Jason said. “We understand that they are going to make a run or try to, and we just folded.”
The Spurs reeled off 15 points in the five minutes and change before the next Milwaukee field goal. By then, San Antonio held a commanding 20-point lead, 65-45. The Spurs generated eight points off five Milwaukee turnovers in the third and they tallied 28 to take a 21-point advantage into the final frame.
Afterward, Jason talked about his team’s offensive struggles on the night and labeled them as growing pains for a group that is still building a rapport together and trying to figure out the right rotational formula.
“It’s a new group. Getting to understand one another, and also, being young, sometimes we give in to the pressure or to a run instead of trying to answer,” Coach Kidd told reporters. “And when we do try to answer it’s more or less the individual instead of trying to move the ball. We have guys who can move the ball, it’s just sticking right now.”
San Antonio’s defense was tremendous, holding the Bucks to 33.8 percent shooting for the entire game and limiting them to 70 total points. That included a first quarter when Milwaukee scored 21, but every quarter after that the Spurs held the Bucks to 17, 17, and 15 points respectively.
The Spurs had 12 different players in the scoring column, including three players with eight or more points off the bench. They also had 25 assists compared to just 17 by the Bucks. Jason spoke about what makes San Antonio so good, and what Milwaukee can learn from the championship-contending Spurs.
“You look at San Antonio, they gave a great clinic of how to move the ball,” J-Kidd told the media. “When guys aren’t shooting the ball extremely well, they continue to play as a team offensively and to move the ball to get a wide-open shot. This is a good tape for us to watch tomorrow.”
NEXT UP
The Bucks (7-12) go to Detroit to face the Pistons (10-9) Friday night.
Milwaukee leads the season series 1-0 after handling the Pistons 109-88 in Milwaukee last month. Detroit will ride a two-game win streak into the Palace of Auburn Hills. They beat the Houston Rockets and the Phoenix Suns at home to start the week.
The game starts at 6:30 p.m. CT.
