The Milwaukee Bucks were no match for the New York Knicks in their recent contest during the 2024-25 NBA season.
Since winning the 2024 NBA Cup, the Milwaukee Bucks have somewhat lost their touch this season.
Despite the team wanting to build on their excellent momentum, they are 6-6 since lifting the NBA Cup. The Bucks’ most recent defeat came at the hands of the New York Knicks.
The Knicks utterly dominated the Bucks in a 140-106 win against Giannis Antetokounmpo and co. Following the loss, Milwaukee has now fallen to a 20-17 record for the season.
When the Bucks were in a slump at the start of the season, many lost hope in head coach Doc Rivers‘ capabilities. However, Doc has regained that trust one win at a time.
Even though Rivers’ job is likely safe, losing by a margin of 34 points against a top team in the Eastern Conference is bound to raise a few eyebrows.
Despite the embarrassing defeat, coach Rivers is confident in his team’s capabilities to dominate big teams come playoff time.
“Coaches laugh at that [criticism]. I’m being honest because we know you’re playing well in the playoffs, you play those same teams. You can beat those same teams,” Rivers told the media.
“Right now, the way we played the Knicks, that’s [criticism] probably very true because they’ve kicked our ____ twice. And so, you got to live with what they’re doing,” he added.
So what needs to change?
“I got to do something better, the team’s got to do something better, but we feel comfortable against anybody,” Rivers concluded.
Rivers’ unwavering confidence can be a double-edged sword as he dwindled on the line between confidence and overconfidence during the postgame presser.
In order to win the 2025 NBA Championship, the Bucks will likely go through one of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference.
As of now, they are the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, and NY Knicks. A loss here and there shouldn’t scare fans.
But the Bucks currently have a 0-8 record against the aforementioned teams. Keeping that in mind, it’s surprising that Rivers refuses to admit that the Bucks are currently inferior to their East rivals.
On the contrary, he believes they can dominate them come playoff time. The Bucks are currently the sixth seed in the conference.
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