The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Orlando Magic in the NBA Cup quarterfinals convincingly, but head coach Doc Rivers made sure to keep the main thing, the main thing. After Tuesday's game, Rivers dropped an effective message about his expectations for the rest of the tournament.
“We want to win this thing,” Rivers said.
After starting the season on a 2-8 record, Milwaukee has completely flipped the script. They're sitting at the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference and have had some quality wins. For example, they went on a seven-game winning streak and scored over 120 points in five of those games. The duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard seems to be having a positive effect through this portion of the season.
However, it hasn't all been on the back of the Bucks' two superstars. They've had their role players rise to the occasion quite nicely. Guys like Bobby Portis, AJ Green, and Gary Trent Jr. have all been nice contributors during the fickle season thus far. As a result, they've picked up a 13-11 record. Both
Still, their win against the Magic was arguably their most impressive of the season. As the best defensive team in the league, Orlando has plenty of guys who could limit their top scorers. Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, and Goga Bitadze rounded up their top defensive unit.
However, they play a team-style defense with tons of communication on switches and rotations. Furthermore, they kept the Bucks in the game without Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. Regardless, Milwaukee took care of business against a top team in their respective conference.
Doc Rivers believes the Bucks can win the NBA Cup
Related Milwaukee Bucks NewsArticle continues below
The Bucks might be riding high at the right time. Despite a lackluster start to the season, there was minimal separation between them and a playoff spot. While the playoffs don't begin until April, establishing yourself as a top team is a priority. Although it took a bit of time, Milwaukee is winning the games they need to win.
However, Rivers' simple message might be more than a confidence boost. Winning is a pride thing, and some of the best winners in basketball cherish that. Some players or teams even hate losing more than winning. Antetokounmpo even said there's ‘unfinished business' after the Tuesday win.
While the NBA Cup doesn't have any playoff ramifications if anyone wins or loses, winning it is more simple than an in-depth analysis. It's a pride thing. Being the second team to win the NBA Cup could be something to hang your hat on. Not to mention, after the shaky start to the season, this could be a momentum boost for the rest of the year for a seasoned Bucks team.