Bucks Zone

Adrian Griffin wants better defensive effort when Milwaukee plays Detroit for the second time in three days

The Bucks and the Pistons will play their second game in three days on Monday night.
Matthew Dugandzic|
© Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

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The Milwaukee Bucks were heavily favored when they played the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, but they still needed a strong endgame kick before they could come away with a 141-135 win.

The two squads will meet again on Monday night to cap their four-game regular-season series, and coach Adrian Griffin has one key reminder for his squad.

“We need to take better care of the 3-point line on Monday,” Griffin said. “Will they shoot like this next time? I don't know, but we have to make sure we don't give them that confidence.”

Detroit waxed hot from 3

The lowly Pistons were able to keep in step with the Bucks largely because of their hot three-point shooting that saw them make 21 of their 47 three-point attempts for a high 56.8 percent shooting clip.

In the fourth quarter alone, the Pistons made six three-pointers. They had a 121-117 lead halfway through the final quarter before Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard keyed a string of runs for Milwaukee that sealed the outcome of the contest.

Reserves Alec Burks, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and Ausur Thompson combined for 15 three-pointers. Burks ended up finishing with a team-high 33 points on 7-for-14 shooting from three-point range. Muscala was 4-of-4 from deep territory.

Milwaukee was just 12-for-32 from three-point range.

Detroit bench impresses coach Griff

“They’re really talented in their second unit," Griffin said. "Burks, Muscala, Gallinari, all these guys are proven veterans in the league. I know that their record is not indicative of their talent. They really have some good players over there.”

Led by Burks and Thompson, who scored a career-high 22 points, the Detroit bench outscored the Milwaukee reserves by a mile, 82-18.

Fortunately for the Bucks, their starters produced with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combining for 76 points.

Lillard admitted that the Bucks did a poor job of defending the three-point line.

“It was just too easy for ‘em. In this league, guys see the ball go in, they start to believe, they start to play faster and start to play with more confidence. And anybody can do it if you allow them to get going,” said Lillard.

For their second meeting in three days, it would be interesting to see if the Bucks can correct their defensive lapses as they bid to complete a regular-season series sweep against the Pistons.

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.