Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers acknowledged that his team fell behind from the opening tip in Tuesday’s 139-106 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“Just beat us off the dribble all night,” remarked the Bucks head coach during his postgame availability. “I honestly thought we were playing with dead legs. I knew this was going to be a difficult game. … But no excuses. We just didn’t have it. We were flat.”
Doc Rivers pointed to fatigue as a factor in the Bucks’ sluggish showing and made it clear he shoulders the blame. He said the responsibility falls on him to pull the team out of its current struggles, stressing that it is not on the players but on his leadership to get them back on track.
The Bucks head coach also highlighted the absence of Myles Turner, noting how it left the Bucks vulnerable inside. He said Turner would have been key protecting the rim, but without him, the Timberwolves attacked off the dribble at every position.
The Timberwolves took full advantage, shooting 60 percent from the field and draining 22 of 43 three-point attempts.
Doc Rivers on the Bucks’ wire to wire loss to the Timberwolves
Nov 7, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers reacts in the 4th quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Rivers also highlighted the absence of Myles Turner, noting how it left the Bucks vulnerable inside. He said Turner would have been key protecting the rim, but without him, the Timberwolves attacked off the dribble at every position.
Minnesota took full advantage of the Bucks, shooting 60 percent from the field and draining 22 of 43 three-point attempts.
Doc Rivers added that despite Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 25 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, Minnesota’s efficiency on offense prevented the Bucks from mounting a comeback.
Jan 13, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts in the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The Bucks fell to 17-23 while the Timberwolves climbed to 27-14, led by Julius Randle’s 29 points and Bones Hyland’s season-best 23 off the bench. Minnesota dominated the glass and floor spacing, taking full advantage of Milwaukee’s defensive breakdowns to open a franchise-record road halftime lead of 76-45.
“We got one more tough game. We saw the schedule when it came out then we have three days off. It sucks because we’re stuck on the road. We’re three days off and we’re on the road, we’re not doing anything, but we’re just out there. It still would give us a change to rest, give us a chance to practice and then get our stuff together. So, this next one’s gonna be a hard game,” Rivers said when talking about their next game against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.