Doc Rivers Uses Red Auerbach To Help Fuel Bucks Gameplan

The Bucks' head coach is taking a page out of the legendary coach's handbook.

Apr 10, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers calls a play in the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks are a very desperate team. They find themselves down 0-2 to the Indiana Pacers as their first-round playoff series shifts to Milwaukee.

Game 3 on Friday night is a must-win for them. They know it, and head coach Doc Rivers knows it. He is trying to find a way for his team to play better.

Rivers is trying anything that he can to get his team motivated so that they play better basketball. They have to be better in transition and they have to stop turning the ball over so much.

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Rivers is trying to use legendary coach Red Auerbach to help him out. While talking to the media, he mentioned Auberach would not stand for the turnovers that the Bucks are committing in this series.

“We don't want turnovers. Turnovers are unacceptable,” Rivers said. “I don't think that's a debate. I've said it since I started coaching in Boston and Red Auerbach came around with that terrible-smelling cigar. He would come into my office every single day, and he would say the exact same thing, every single day."

Turnovers have been killing the Bucks because they have allowed the Pacers to score easier buckets. Indiana loves to get out and run, so live-ball turnovers kill them.

Milwaukee should be able to take care of the ball a little bit better now that Damian Lillard is back in the lineup. While he was rusty in Game 2, he should be better in the rest of the series.

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Rivers has been coaching for a long time, so he should know what buttons to push with this team. Motivation and speeches only go so far, though.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been fantastic. He has held his end of the bargain in the first two games of the series, but he needs some help from his teammates.

Lillard and Bobby Portis are the two guys who have to play really well in Game 3 for the Bucks to get a win. Playing in front of their home crowd should help them, too.

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